Ride of the Valkyrie
by Wes Imlay
Summary: Six years before the Fall of the Colonies President Adar's sister and niece were kidnapped and held hostage. This is the story of the rescue mission, one that would have a huge impact on the lives and careers of Scott Tolan and Artimus Bowman.
1. Chapter 1: Cloak and Dagger

(Author's Note: This is a prequel to the 'Battlestar _Victorious_' series. The idea came from two places. The first was a desire to try to flesh out the character of Scott Tolan, and also show part of William Adama's days as commander of the _Valkyrie_. The background of the opening scene can be found in Volume Two, Chapter Eleven of the _Victorious_ series.)

**Chapter One: Cloak & Dagger**

_Six Years before the fall_

**Caprica City, Zeleia Enterprises:**

Robert Reynolds, Executive Vice President, sat in his corner office on the Seventy-Sixth floor of the Sabian Tower in the Harran district of Caprica City.

It was almost three in the afternoon, and he was preparing to cut his day short to leave for an extended weekend with his wife, Monique. The door to his office was flung open and his first instinct was to grab the phone and yell his secretary for allowing such an interruption to occur.

Instead he looked up and immediately recognized the man who was standing in the doorway, the look of barely contained anger was written all over the man's features. This man was none other than Commander Scott Edward Tolan. The former Executive Officer of the Battlestar _Atlantia_, and the now recently appointed Commanding Officer of the Battlestar _Vanguard_.

He quietly asked his secretary to come and close the door. Also, he told her he was not to be disturbed for any reason as he had important business with the Colonial Fleet officer, and then silenced the speaker on the phone before she could respond.

"Well what have I done to earn this visit, Commander Tolan – how's Bridget?" He asked with a forced civility. The two men had a history and it was not a pleasant one.

When Scott Tolan had finished his last tour of duty on the _Galactica_, he had been selected to attend Advanced Tactical Training (A.T.T.). When the training was over, he had finished in the top five percent of his class. He had downtime while waiting for his next assignment, which would be on the battlestar _Mercury_. In light of his time off, he decided to spend a night on the town in Caprica City.

At Club Tavares he met a Bridget Woods. When all was said and done, they'd ended up in bed at his Caprica City condo for the whole weekend. He had no idea that, not only was Bridget a recent graduate from the Fleet Academy, but she also engaged, and was to be married in the near future.

The whole thing had been a setup by Bridget's then-best friend Monique, who had used the opportunity to get her in a compromising situation so that she could make a play for Robert. When Reynolds found out, the two men had an angry confrontation that ended up with Scott severely fracturing the man's shin.

Monique's plan had worked, the wedding was called off and Bridget had to answer for what had ensued. It was close, but she and Scott had managed to avoid having their careers ruined by a fraternization scandal. The fact that neither knew the other was in the Colonial Fleet may have played a part.

Both had moved on from it, and now Scott was the CO of the battlestar _Vanguard_, and Bridget was his XO. Robert had never forgiven Bridget for cheating on him, and neither Scott for seducing his fiancée or for almost crippling him. He had used his money and influence to inconvenience the two. Scott had to endure rumors about his professional and personal life. As for Bridget, well Robert had made sure she would never find love or receive it from any man. He had people who kept tabs on her, and when she would move on to a new relationship…well, the man in question would find it financially beneficial to sever ties with Bridget and move on. It had cost him a decent amount of money over the years, but money was not an issue with him and he enjoyed the personal satisfaction it brought.

"How's the leg?" Scott asked, referencing the right shin he had broken that day they first met.

"A bit of trouble every now and then…don't give yourself too much credit." Robert then dropped his civility and asked, "How's the wife?"

"Now we can cut to the chase," Scott announced before continuing. "She heard a story that had been circulating about her miscarriage, the one that she almost died from. You wouldn't happen to know about that?"

By this time Scott had walked over and sat on the edge of the desk across from Reynolds, and seemed ready to pounce on a moment's notice.

"I may have heard a rumor about that." The glow of satisfaction hinting in his eyes as he spoke.

Scott smiled, "Really, well please enlighten me."

Robert leaned in, "I heard that her husband may have physically abused her."

Scott leaned closer, "Please go on," wanting him to continue.

"I heard that he abused her so badly that she lost the baby and almost died because of it."

"You have no idea where this rumor came from?"

"I may have an idea, but I'd never tell you."

Robert was not prepared for what happened next. In a swift movement, Scott catapulted himself over the table and tackled him. The move knocked his chair over with him still in it. Before he could react, Scott had grabbed his tie and tightened the knot to the point that it began to choke him – putting his training to the best possible use.

"I can't breathe!" he tried to shout, but it was barely a whisper.

"That's because I'm choking you, you bastard!" Scott hissed at him, wanting to squeeze the life out of the little rat now occupying the space below him.

Scott released the grip and Robert quickly loosened his tie, but in the time it took for that to happen Scott had drawn his sidearm and had it pointed squarely at the man's face.

"Do I have your attention?" Scott snapped.

Robert wanted to say something, but instead just nodded.

"Good because I hate having to repeat myself," Scott said calmly before continuing. "You hate me for sleeping with Bridget and you're entitled to that. However, I do not appreciate your dragging my wife into this. Emily wasn't in the picture when this happened, and right now she is in a delicate situation. Are you following me?"

Robert just nodded once more.

"That's good, because if you spread one more lie about her I can assure you that it will end badly for you and that two-timing skank you call a wife. Leave Emily alone, let Bridget get on with her life for a change, and don't give me a reason to come back and visit you. Are we clear?" The speech left his throat in a rough tone of voice, no doubt intimidating.

Finally Robert found his voice, "Crystal."

"Glad to hear it. Now sit yourself up and get situated because I'm going to walk out that door and no one will be the wiser."

Scott got off of him and gave him time to set his chair back up and get situated as though nothing had happened.

"Just to give you fair warning Robert, pull a stunt like this again and you will regret the day your father had an itch in his pants and conceived you."

Robert said nothing, but kept getting himself situated. When that was done Scott walked out the door calling behind him, "I'm glad we got to talk, Mr. Reynolds. Have a good day!"

Robert got up from his chair, "The same to you, Commander Tolan!" He then closed the door and began shaking violently.

**Sabian Tower, Front Entrance:**

As Scott left the building he was approached by a young woman wearing a Colonial Fleet uniform.

"Commander Tolan?" she asked.

He gave her a surmising glance and then said, "Yes, and who are you?"

"Lieutenant Myra Aperlae. I've been sent on behalf of Admiral Corman. He wishes to speak with you, sir."

"Very well, Lieutenant; can you tell me why?" Tolan said as the two walked to the limo parked not far from the entrance to the Tower."

"I'm not at liberty to say, sir. Admiral Corman told me that he needed you at the Executive Mansion immediately."

Tolan stopped, "Wait a minute…I'm needed at the President's house?"

"Yes sir, Admiral Corman could not express enough how important it is that you meet with him there."

Tolan picked up his pace and wondered what President Richard Adar, a man he did not even vote for in the last election, could possibly want with him.

**Executive Mansion (Presidential Private Quarters):**

Upon arriving at the Executive Mansion, Tolan was escorted to what he guessed was a formal sitting area in the private quarters of the President and his family.

"Have a seat, Commander; the President will be here to see you shortly," his escort said before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Instead of taking a seat, Tolan walked around the room and took stock of his surroundings. The walls were done in a bright white, adorned by many pictures and paintings. Located on the opposite wall was a marble fireplace with various photos situated on the mantle. It seemed to him that every member of the family was accounted for on the fireplace.

"The young man in the photo to your left is my son Benjamin; he's a pilot on the battlestar _Avaris_."

Scott turned around and found himself face to face with President Adar and an admiral.

"Commander Tolan, I don't know if you have met Admiral Peter Corman before," Adar said.

"Sir…"Scott said as he saluted the officer and his Commander-in-Chief.

"At ease, Commander; have a seat," Corman said motioning to a pair of couches and chairs situated around a coffee table.

Scott took a seat in one of the chairs. Corman took the couch to his right, while Adar sat in the chair across the table from him.

"Commander, have you been following the news lately?"

Tolan shook his head, "Not as much as I normally do."

Corman placed a photo down on the table where Tolan could see it. "Her name is Rachael Adar, President Adar's niece."

Tolan said nothing as Admiral Corman carried on, "She is the daughter of President Adar's younger sister, Renee. Approximately three days ago they were on a visit to Virgon when their shuttle seemingly vanished. Yesterday we received a ransom demand from a secessionist group known as the Sagittaron Liberation Army."

"I'm sorry to hear that they were kidnapped, but now I have two questions. The first: how can you be sure they are really in this group's custody? And the other: what does this have to do with me?"

"According to your profile you have ties to the Basileus crime syndicate on Canceron," Adar interjected before Corman could say something.

Tolan nodded, "That is correct; my late grandfather was the founder of the Basileus. I would like to remind both of you that I have distanced myself as far as I can from the 'family businesses."

"You have to understand that we have heard rumors to the contrary," Corman said, leafing through what Scott was certain was his personnel file.

"Just what do these rumors say about me?"

"That you have been running a smuggling ring on the _Vanguard_ in the short time that you've been in command of the battlestar."

"I have an idea as to who started that rumor, and I can assure you that it is not true!" Tolan said defensively. He began to wish he had done more to Robert Reynolds when he paid him a visit earlier in the day.

"You have to look at it from our perspective…this is something that can be of value to us," Adar said.

Corman then spoke up, "We doubt the rumors are true, but for the purpose of helping with this situation it can be useful."

Tolan arched an eyebrow, "Useful, how?"

"You can use your blood ties to the Basileus and your rumored weapons smuggling to gain access to the S.L.A. and perhaps attempt a rescue mission if at all possible."

Tolan, who had earlier felt his anger rise over the rumor, suddenly realized what they were getting at.

"You want me to go undercover into a group that has no love for Colonial society, and use my last name as well as the reputation that goes along with it," he said making sure he had the gist of the operation.

"That is our plan, but if you agree we can give you a more details, commander," Corman said.

"I'm putting my reputation and probably my career on the line by doing this. I want at least something in return for my help," Tolan said to the two men.

Both looked flabbergasted at this. Adar finally said, "Commander Tolan, there are two innocent lives at stake here. That should be all the incentive you need!"

Tolan simply smiled at him, "If there is one thing I've learned about politics, it's that it is a business built on favors. You haven't ordered me to do anything, you are asking for my help. Now I'm asking for your good faith that there will be compensation for my risk."

Corman was going to say something, but Adar held a silencing hand up, "You have a point, Commander Tolan. You do this for me, and I will do something for you. I take it you want a fast-track to Admiral?"

Tolan shook his head, "Far from it, if I get flag rank it will be of my own doing. I have a thirteen-year old cousin named Lacey. I want you to personally sponsor her for the Fleet Academy. You guarantee me that, and I will go to whatever ends necessary to bring your sister and niece back."

"I promise that Lacey…Tolan, that is her last name right?" Adar asked. When Tolan nodded he continued, "Miss Tolan will have a spot at the Fleet Academy waiting for her when she graduates high school. Now, Commander, can I count on your help?"

"Not just yet. I have a hard time trusting politicians, so forgive me for wanting a copy of that note you've just written. Fax it to the _Vanguard_, and then you will have my assistance." Scott did not trust Adar, how could he – the man was a sadist, who's only concern was his own ass.

A few minutes later Tolan received confirmation that the note had been faxed to the _Vanguard_, "Alright, you can count me in. What all do you need me to do?"

Corman began explaining his plan right away, "You are to go to Canceron and convince whoever is in charge of the Basileus to send out feelers to the S.L.A., and then you are to rendezvous with the battlestar _Valkyrie_."

"Who is in command of the _Valkyrie_?" Tolan asked. It was a simple question, but it kept his mind off of the one part that really bothered him.

"That would be Commander William Adama. From there you will board the scout ship _Sica_, and with a small handpicked crew, you will make your way to the main base of the S.L.A. once you have its location."

"Has Adama been given the same briefing?" Tolan inquired, hoping that this would be the case.

"Essentially the same briefing has been given to him. There were some different tactical details concerning the _Valkyrie _instead of your particular mission. In terms of this operation, he knows as much as you do," Corman stated.

"Will the _Valkyrie_ be on station in case something goes wrong?" Tolan asked.

"The _Valkyrie_ will be there. I feel deploying more than one battlestar will draw attention that we rather do without."

"I'll head to Canceron the first chance I get and see what I can arrange. Is there anything else I should be aware of?"

There was a moment of silence before Adar spoke, "I will have two of my agents from the Ministry of Intelligence meet you on Canceron, they will be with you for the duration of the mission. Don't worry about finding them, Commander – they'll find you."

Tolan nodded, and shook Adar's hand. He gave a crisp salute to Admiral Corman, and then left the room to make arrangements for his trip to Canceron.

"That went well, Admiral; do you think he'll be able to get the job done?" Adar asked Corman.

"I still don't know what to make of him, but all we can do is wait and see how this plays out. However, we can always have a Plan B or C waiting in case Tolan fails."

"Do you have another suggestion for how to get this done?" Adar asked.

"We have a second team, a shadow group, go in behind Tolan and try a rescue if the situation arises. They will stay out of contact until such time so that they don't compromise themselves."

"Who do you have in mind for this?"

"My aide, Lt. Myra Aperlae, is my first choice. Her file says plenty of her tactical knowledge. I think we can use our stealth technology on a scout ship and send it to wherever the S.L.A. is keeping the hostages at."

Adar nodded his head, "Make it happen, Admiral Corman."

**Three Days Later, Amarna, Canceron:**

Scott Tolan stood outside the Iasos Restaurant in the city of Amarna. He knew what he had to do, but that did not mean he cared to do it. He had spent the years since the death of his brother, Andrew, trying to distance himself from the Basileus as best he could. Five years ago when his grandfather, Carl Tolan, had passed away there had been a family feud over who would take control of the organization. The answer finally came when Lydia Zeresi, the oldest of Carl's daughters, managed to wrest control of the Basileus from her siblings and other rivals in the crime syndicate.

"As I live and breathe, it's the prodigal son himself!" a voice declared loudly behind him. He turned and was face to face with his cousin Levi Zeresi.

He walked up and the two men shook hands and hugged. "Even I have to come home every once in a while."

"You look good, Scotty. So tell me, Ace, is it business or pleasure that's brought you?"

"Do you want to know or does Aunt Lydia want to know?" Scott asked.

"A bit of both actually. It's not that she wasn't happy to hear from you, but you have to admit it's hard to not be paranoid after recent events."

"I don't think I've ever done this, but I need to ask her for a favor. You go in there and let her know that I mean her no harm."

"You got it!" Levi said as he turned and headed into the restaurant.

"Drop me in the middle of the Carura Desert, bury me up to my head in the sands of Caprica Beach, and I would still prefer that to having to ask that woman for a favor," Scott said quietly in case anyone nearby could hear him.

A minute or so later Levi came through the entrance and motioned for Scott to follow him. He entered the wooden double doors and made his way into the subdued lighting of the five-star restaurant.

**Iasos Restaurant (Private Suite):**

On the second floor of the restaurant were private suites that could be used for small gatherings. One of these was permanently reserved for the head of the Basileus.

Scott was flanked by two hulking bodyguards; their names he did not bother to ask, nor did they bother to give. They simply glared at him and when it came time to enter his aunt's private suite, the two men began to search his clothing from head to toe.

"Easy there boys, you keep searching me like that and I might get the wrong impression," Scott said teasingly, though the men just glared at him with ill-concealed hostility.

"It's been a few years Scott; what brings you here to see me?" Lydia Zeresi asked from her seat at the head of the table. She was dressed in exquisite clothing, and looked younger than her age would have suggested.

Scott walked up to her and the two exchanged formal kisses on the cheeks. Each said, "Basu" to one another. This word, in the ancient tongue of Canceron, meant 'Hello' and was used in greetings between people of the planet who still knew something of the old language.

"I have a favor to ask, but first you should let those two behemoths of yours not get so personal when it comes to searching people. I think Lucinda and Leila over there are going to need a cigarette after the effort they put into searching me," Scott said, knowing that he was only provoking the two men.

"You son of a bitch!" One of the men shouted and the two began to rush forward.

"That is enough; this is my nephew and is not to be harmed!" Lydia shouted, raising a hand to tell the men to halt.

"Scott, why are you provoking my guards?" she asked him.

Scott merely shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know, after the day I've had I'm feeling a bit puckish."

"Well I love you, but you may want to stop it and tell me what this favor is."

He filled her in on the conversation he had with President Adar, and that to get access to the S.L.A. he needed her to vouch for his smuggling operation with someone who had ties to that group.

"You know this won't be cheap," she said to him.

"I had a feeling that would be the case, but I don't have much say in the matter. What do you need from me?" he said wearily, a knot forming in his stomach at what might be asked of him.

"You don't need to concern yourself with that right now. For now just promise to visit more, and when I need my real favor from you I will let you know."

"Fair enough, Aunt Lydia; you let me know when you have the arrangements made. I assume you have my phone numbers, yes?"

She smiled at him, "Home and mobile. It was good to see you, Scott; don't take so long between visits."

He got up and gave her a kiss on the cheek before walking out the room, escorted by Lucinda and Leila. He knew those weren't their names, but he could care less.

They exited through a rear door into an alley, and for a moment Scott worried the two men might actually try something.

He had been through quite a bit today, and decided he would not be worried about it.

"See you later, boys!" He said as he walked away and turned the corner out of the alley.

XXX

Back in the alley the two goons took out their pistols and attached their silencers. Despite the warning from the boss, they wanted to teach that man a lesson in respect. Actually, they just wanted to kill him, but it sounded better that way.

They started up the alley when a young woman walked up to them with a map in her hand.

"Thank goodness I found the two of you!" she exclaimed, as she walked closer to them with the map in hand. "This is my first day in Amarna and I am already lost!

"That's too bad." One of the men said as he tried to walk around her.

"I need directions badly; please…it will only take a minute at the most!" She pleaded with them.

The other man put pulled back on his friend's shoulder, "Now, Harv, this young lady is lost and needs our help."

Harv turned and glared at his friend, "Damn it, Joe, he's getting away!"

Joe just smiled, "You'll have to excuse my friend, and we're late for a business meeting that just came up. What are you looking for?"

"Thank you so much! I'm trying to find the Erika Tavern," she said.

Joe began to say something, but he never got the words out. In a flurry of motion she threw the map up into the air and quickly delivered a front kick to his groin, causing him to crumble to the ground quickly.

Harv pulled his gun and had it aimed, but the woman took his arm and managed to twist his wrist in a way that caused him to drop it. This was followed by an open hand strike to his windpipe, sending him to the ground gasping for air.

Galit Malka surveyed her work and realized she had them both incapacitated. She pushed some errant strands of brown hair away from her face, and looked at them with a pair of intense emerald eyes.

"You two find your own flyboy, this one's mine," she said before leaving the alley to introduce her to Scott Tolan, the man she would accompany on the rescue mission.

**Amarna, Canceron** (**Cragum Street):**

After leaving the restaurant, Scott felt the need to get as far away from Amarna as possible. Not because he was in any danger from the Basileus, but because time spent with his father's side of the family always made him feel more than a little uneasy. At least it had ever since the night his brother Andrew died at Scythia Beach.

It was not long until he took the keys out of the pocket of his black khakis, and quickly got in the driver's seat of his pickup truck. It had been his father's, and over time Scott had fully restored the vintage full-size Vilea A-250 made by the Aster Motor Works.

He turned the radio on, and was in the process of changing stations when there was a knock on his window. He turned and saw a young woman whom he did not recognize looking at him.

She looked like she was maybe a recent college graduate. She had a set of deep emerald eyes that he could barely get a reading from. She was tall with a decidedly feminine build. Her deeply-tanned skin gave him the impression that she probably spent a lot of her time outdoors. Her hair was silky, straight, brown, and went down to her shoulders.

He rolled the window down and asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

She smiled at him, "Yes you can, Commander…may I join you? The subject is somewhat private."

He nodded and reached over to open the passenger side door, "Get in."

She got in, and once the door was closed they were off to Highway 49 and away from Amarna.

"Obviously you know me; now I want to know who you are and why you're here," Tolan said to her, a question and a command.

"Direct and to the point, I like that quality in a man." She said before adding, "My name is Galit Malka. I'm with the Ministry of Intelligence. I've been assigned to assist you in the recovery of the President's niece."

"That's fine, Miss Malka, but I want you to show me your credentials first," Tolan said, keeping his eyes on the road.

She drew a wallet out of her small purse and unfolded it, showing what Tolan realized was a legitimate set of credentials.

"Glad to hear it, Commander," she said as she put her credentials back into the purse.

"Let's get one thing straight. I'm not big on formality, so I will call you Galit and you can call me Scott. Fair enough?"

"Yes it is, Commander… I mean Scott."

"Now, why are you here now? Is this Adar's way of playing a practical joke on me? I'm no nugget."

"My partner, who we should go meet now that I've joined up with you, and I are going undercover with you on this trip," Galit said.

"Does your partner have a name and location?"

"His name is Keene Barron; he's waiting for us in Romanos."

"That's a good five hour drive, and it's not quite a straight shot."

"We took separate shuttles from Caprica, and neither one of us has been to Canceron before."

"It shows…," Scott muttered under his breath.

"Did you say something?"

"I said, 'Let's go!'" he said, trying to hide what he had actually said.

"Do you know how to get there from here?"

He shot her a 'You have to be kidding' look. "We follow this highway until it intersects with Highway 18, and that will lead us to the interstate and from there it's about four and half hours or so depending on traffic."

"I know this is awkward for you, Scott; but by the time this is over I'm sure you'll be quite fond of me."

"Oh, I adore you already," Scott said, though Galit could not tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

"I'm surprised you haven't asked me how or why my partner didn't accompany me to find you."

Scott smirked at her, "You work for the government, and even an intelligence agency can screw up."

"You have such little faith in the government you serve?"

Scott shrugged, "You may call me a cynic, and I say that I just have low expectations of the government doing a job properly."

"Well for your information he is busy with other prep work for this mission. There was no issue with me going solo to find you."

"Sure you might not have found yourself in some kind of trouble?"

"I'm a big girl – I know how to take care of myself." Galit said with a sense of pride.

"I have no doubt about that." Scott said, fishing a pair of sunglasses out of the center console to help combat the sun's glare off of the back window of the vehicle in front of them.

**Seven Hours and Forty-Nine Minutes Later**

**Romanos, Canceron:**

Keene Barron waited for them outside the Nysa Temple. The large temple was the largest place of worship in the city of Romanos, and was heralded as a fine example of Canceron architecture. When not used for services, it served as a major tourist attraction.

Barron was a tall man with a broad-shouldered build. He had neck-length black hair that went along with his black beard and mustache, giving him a decidedly worldly look. His attire was more professional looking than the tourists that were currently swarming around the temple, but he did not seem to stand out at all. His normally light skin had taken on a ruddy complexion from the time he had spent walking around in the sunlight.

Scott's truck pulled into a parking spot in the nearby lot, then he and Galit Malka both got out.

"That took longer than you said it would," she stated.

"You're right, Galit; I should have just waved my hands and magically moved those wrecked cars off of the road."

"No, smartass; you could have tried to turn around and find another way here."

"Fine. The next time I'll let you drive and you can show me how it's done."

"I knew you would see things my way," she said with a satisfied smile then looked around the front of the temple. "I think I see Keene at the foot of the steps; let's get moving!"

Scott motioned with his arm, "Ladies first."

"You could try coming up with something better than sarcasm," Galit said as she began walking.

"I'll try…honestly."

Ten minutes later they walked up to the man Galit had identified as Keene Barron.

"I see you didn't waste any time finding our flyboy," Keene said with a smile as he took her hand and gave it a squeeze before releasing it.

"He was easy to find. Keene Barron, meet Commander Scott Tolan."

The two men shook hands. "I'm glad to meet our ticket into the S.L.A.," Keene said.

"From what Galit told me, when she wasn't telling me how to drive, this whole operation depends on them buying the story we're going to tell them."

"The S.L.A. needs guns and we have more than enough; besides it's not like they'll have the chance to actually use them," Galit said.

Scott raised an eyebrow, "Ok, now what have you _not_ told me?"

"Oh…that…," Galit said as she realized she had not told him the other part of the mission.

"Sorry, Commander; once we've rescued the hostages, the _Valkyrie_ is to send an encrypted message to the Tenth Fleet. Its task is to jump to the location and destroy the S.L.A. base, therefore putting an end to them once and for all."

"Hostage rescue and terrorist annihilation, that is multi-tasking at its finest," Scott said with a trace of sarcasm.

"Reading your file, I'd have never thought you would be so sardonic," Keene said.

"I have had a long day so far; I promise once I'm able to get some rest I'll be much easier to get along with."

"Let's head to the spaceport and get to the _Vanguard_," Galit said, turning to walk away.

"Sounds good," Scott said, and began fishing in his pockets for his keys.

Galit stopped and turned around to face him. In her hand were his truck keys; she had taken them out without him realizing it. "I'm driving this time," she said with a wicked smile on her face.

"Is she always like this?" he asked Keene.

"She has her moments."

Scott nodded, "Indeed."

"We're burning daylight!" Galit called out to the two men.

**Crethen Federal Prison (Virgon City, Virgon):**

Marcellus Britt sat alone in his cell mentally playing out a pyramid game between the Caprica Buccaneers and the Picon Panthers. He had always had a knack for numbers that he discovered as he went through school. For fun he would play out imaginary pyramid games in his mind, completing every statistic imaginable.

He was good at math, and he was also a very adept thief, a fact he proved the night he broke into the Delphi Museum of the Colonies and stole the Golden Apple of Aphrodite, only eight years ago. He would have gotten away free and clear, but his fence turned him in to the authorities, in this case Ministry of Intelligence agents Galit Malka and Mitchell Cain, for a sizeable reward. Honor among thieves was a myth nine times out of ten.

He was broken from his reverie by a nightstick thudding against the door of his cell. He jumped out of his bed and wondered what could possibly be going on.

"We're coming in to get you, Britt; don't try anything funny." The harsh voice belonged to Bud Cantrell, one of the guards he had become familiar with during his time incarcerated.

"No worries," he said as he stood in the middle of the cell with his hands behind his head.

Cantrell motioned with his nightstick, "Warden wants to have a word with you in his office; come with me."

Bud was in his mid-sixties. Some would say he was ancient compared to Britt's twenty-six years of age.

The two men walked in silence, with Cantrell leading Britt towards the section of the prison where the warden's office was located.

**Twenty-Three Minutes Later:**

Philip Whitfield sat behind his desk looking at the paperwork that had been delivered not even an hour ago. Whether or not it would be used depended on the actions of Marcellus Britt.

He did not have to wait long as the door opened and Britt walked into the room. Britt looked out of place among the population of the prison. He was perhaps six feet tall, with wire-frame glasses that gave him a scholarly look. His medium brown skin was unadorned with any of the prison tattoos he was accustomed to seeing.

"Have a seat, Mr. Britt," he said, and Britt did as told. "I will get straight to the point. Today could possibly be your last day with us."

Britt's eyebrows arched with surprise, "How so, sir?"

"President Adar has authorized your release and pardon effective immediately. The only catch is that you are to be part of a team he has requested to be assembled for a hostage rescue mission."

"Who's the hostage?"

"I can't tell you unless you agree to go on this mission."

A chance to be released and pardoned, it was an offer that seemed too good to be true.

"I agree to whatever terms; now can you fill me in?"

"As a matter of fact I can. But first let me tell you about where you are going from here. You will be taken to the Royce Jeffery Spaceport, and from there you will be transported to the Battlestar _Valkyrie_. There you will learn the rest of the mission you were selected for."

This was still almost too incredible for his mind to comprehend. "Does the President really need a thief?"

Whitfield smiled, "He's pardoned you and released you from prison for a top-secret mission; I believe that should answer your question." A thought came to him, "By the way Mr. Britt, you breathe even a word of this to anyone and you will be charged with several counts of treason and confined to a place so awful it makes Fort Milledge look like a vacation getaway."

Britt nodded, "That is what I figured would happen to me. How will my pardon be explained?"

"Some little known technicality concerning your arrest, and the fact that you have been a model prisoner since you arrived at my fine facility."

**Battlestar **_**Vanguard**_** (BS-92):**

_Vanguard_ was sitting there at Lampetia Shipyards, Scott thought, like a greyhound desperate to get off its leash and take off as quickly as it could into the far reaches of space. She would get to leave soon, to rendezvous with the _Valkyrie_. Galit Malka and Keene Barron had been assigned guest quarters, and retired for the night after having dinner with Scott.

The _Cyrene_-class battlestar was his first command, the culmination of years of hard work and training; not to mention his pride and joy. The _Cyrene_-class_, _which followed the _Jupiter _class of battlestars, were the one model that served as the bridge between the _Valkyrie_ and _Mercury _classes. They were essentially '_Valkyries_ on steroids'. The class shared the hull of a _Valkyrie_, although it was lengthened, widened, given heavier armor, more cannons, more missile turrets, and became the first battlestars to carry the dual flight pods.

He now sat across the table from his friend and XO, Colonel Bridget Woods, knowing that the _Vanguard_ would be in her hands for as long as it took him to complete this mission.

"After that, I kind of lost my temper," Scott said, finishing up the story of his encounter with Robert Reynolds earlier in the day.

"Okay, what exactly does _that_ mean?" Bridget asked, a mix of shock and curiosity in her voice.

"Let's just say I made a reference to Robert's wife," Scott said innocently enough.

After that there was a long silence between the two. The only sounds in the room coming from the movement of the glass of ambrosia each had and the air filtration system, humming like a cat.

"Where are you?" Bridget asked, taking a drink from her glass of ambrosia, finally seeing the clouds part from his eyes.

"My mind is in more than one place right now," Scott said, looking absently at something only he could see.

"Fair enough," Bridget said. "What was your mind just on?"

"I was thinking of Emily. This miscarriage has been rough on both of us; it's hard to believe that I almost lost her."

"How has been since then?"

"The blood transfusion saved her life; the doctors want to keep her at the hospital just a while longer for observation. I know it's taken a toll on her both physically and mentally."

"I'm sure it has. How are you holding up?"

"I have my moments. I've lost loved ones, but this hits home in a way that is different. I know one day down the road Em and I will try again, but this one will stay with me."

He got quite again. Bridget decided to try changing the subject, "Have you read anything interesting in the news?"

"I was thinking about this article I read a few days ago. This doctor, I think his name is Ravashol, was talking the possibility of cloning humans."

"That would mean identical copies?" Bridget asked.

"I think if you were cloned the two of you would be identical, all the way down to that cute little mole you have on your…," Scott did not get to finish the statement.

"I get the point, Scott!" Bridget said, laughing in spite of herself.

He decided to try to change the subject, "Did you know, I can navigate my way across the Colonies; but I get lost every time I go to Caprica City?"

"You never told me that. My parents were both involved in the government. My dad was the Virgon representative on the Quorum of Twelve. Caprica City was where I essentially grew up."

Scott shook his head, "Sorry to hear that."

"I never understood why you have such a problem with politics."

Scott gave her one of his charming smiles, "Politics is like the news and sausage. People who enjoy them should not see how they're made. And speaking of… I was reading a news report. The Fleet has suspended construction of the last two _Illustrious_-class battlestars."

"Ah… Which were those?" she asked. Truth was she had not paid much attention to the news lately.

Scott pulled up the article on his computer and read to her the important information, "Construction of the _Victorious_ and _Kios_ were cancelled yesterday, with the former 85.4 percent complete and the latter 72.1 percent complete. The incomplete hulls will be stored at Scorpion Shipyard until a decision is reached on what is to be done with them."

"What do you think will happen to them?" Bridget asked.

Scott shrugged, "In a perfect world, they'll be completed one day and join the fleet. It wouldn't surprise me if they were either scrapped or used for target practice."

"Are you nervous?"

He wanted to tell her he was far from it, but he knew he could not lie to her. "I'm more than a little apprehensive; this is a situation I've never been in before. And in…" He looked at the clock on his desk, "Ten hours we will be rendezvousing with the _Valkyrie_, and I turn the keys to the _Vanguard_ over to you. How long I remain there will depend on how long it takes the S.L.A. to decide they want to do business with my family."

She got up from her seat, walked to where he sat, and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You are going to be fine, Scott; and I won't wreck your ride while you're away."

He gave her a warm smile, and reached up and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. When he felt her arms around him, he couldn't help but take in a deep breath. Scott thought of struggling, but found his arms gripping her frame close to him.

"Promise?"

"I promise, Scott. I'll keep eye out for any trouble. I've got your back."

He held her for a second more before releasing her, "Goodnight, Bridget; thank you."

"Goodnight, Scott," she said, flashing a smile as she turned to leave the room and get some rack time in her own bed. In less than half a day she was going to be in charge of the _Vanguard_.


	2. Chapter 2: The Unseen Enemy

Chapter Two: The Unseen Enemy

Three hours after their arrival on the _Valkyrie_, the rescue team settled in for the wait until the S.L.A. agreed to do business with the Basileus.

The _Vanguard_ was due to arrive at the Scorpion Shipyards to join up with the other four battlestars of the Fifteenth Fleet. Tolan just shook his head as he sat down at the spartan metal desk in the small quarters he would be temporarily occupying.

Tolan took out the three photos he carried with him at all times. One was a picture of his mom Sylvia, his cousin Lacey, and of course his wife Emily.

The door to his room had been left opened, but Tolan did not notice the officer stop to knock on the door.

"Commander Tolan, am I disturbing you?"

"No you're not Mister…" For the life of him, he could not remember the man's name.

"Ensign Gaeta, sir. Commander Adama sent me to give you some news involving two of your crewmembers."

Tolan arched an eyebrow, "Very well then Mr. Gaeta. What is it?"

"Major Minerva came down with appendicitis; she is in surgery at the moment. Also, Petty Officer Cobb broke his arm in what was described as an unfortunate fall in the head."

Tolan shook his head; he had been on the _Valkyrie_ for less than three hours and already had to replace two people. "I'll speak with Commander Adama about replacements."

"Not necessary sir. He had a list of potential replacements for you to choose from." Gaeta motioned to someone outside the door, and another ensign brought in a stack of folders.

"Please send my thanks to the commander." Tolan said, taking the first folder and browsing through the personnel record.

It took him a good hour or so to finally decide on the replacements for Major Susan Minerva and Petty Officer Wallace Cobb.

Picking up the phone he sent word to Commander Adama asking him to have Major Artimus Bowman and Petty Officer First Class Robert Imlay sent to his quarters.

Among the folder of personnel was the file on the S.L.A., something Tolan and crew would need for the mission. He opened it and scanned the pertinent information before turning his attention to the leader of the group. General Jonas Sano, the leader of the S.L.A., in some ways it seemed the man was a ghost. He was born in the city of Vius on Sagitarron, attended the Army Academy on Caprica, and resigned his commission shortly after Adar took office.

He put the folder down and rubbed his eyes, "If I find the time while waiting here, I'm going to write the social history of ambrosia." Knowing that there would be too many things going on for that to actually happen.

He had gazed at the one photo he had brought of Emily; it was taken at their wedding. When Emily and he had married, there had been a professional photographer stationed just aft the end of the saber arch. His mom had told him that she had never seen his dress grays look better on him, and that Emily looked elegant in her white wedding dress.

"How happy we were then…" Tolan said to himself. The thought that Emily had come so close to dying when she lost the baby…their baby…there was a part of him that selfishly wanted to be off this mission and instead with his wife at their Caprica City vacation home. She was released from the hospital, but the doctor had given her orders to rest in bed for the time being. At least she was not alone; her brother Andre and sister Andrea had been granted emergency family leave in order to stay with their younger sister and look after her.

It was with thoughts of his wife that his mind began to drift to someplace far from the _Valkyrie_…

Again Tolan found himself disturbed by a knocking on the door. He sat up with a start as he realized he had fallen asleep in his chair. There were three more firm knocks on his hatch and Tolan quickly composed himself before allowing the visitor entry. The door swung open and in walked a man wearing a gold flight suit with a Raptor patch on his arm and Major's pips on his neck. He was about six foot tall and Tolan surmised he was in his mid to early thirties, fairly close to his age, with short cut dark brown hair.

"Excuse me sir!" said the Raptor pilot. "I've been ordered by Commander Adama to report to you at once. My name is Major Artimus Bowman."

"Bowman?" said Tolan racking his sleepy brain. "Yes of course. Please have a seat Major!" Tolan indicated to the chair adjacent to his and the Major seemed to pause before accepting it. "Thank you for coming on such short notice although you didn't have to change into your flight suit just yet!"

"I haven't sir" explained Bowman in an almost lazy tone. "I've actually just completed a seven hour flight in a Raptor. I was ordered to come straight here the moment the skids hit the deck."

"I see!" said Tolan. "Well I won't keep you any longer than I have to I'm sure you want to get your head down as soon as possible. Major Bowman, my team and I have been tasked with a very important mission. As you may or may not be aware by now the President's niece is missing."

"Yes sir I saw it on the news" interjected Bowman. "Shuttle accident."

"That's the public line for the time being Major. The truth is, however, that the President's office has received a ransom from the S.L.A. for the girl's life." Bowman's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Right now both Military and Police Intelligence agencies are coming up blank on the matter. Obviously we can't negotiate with terrorists."

"I see. So you're forming a snatch squad and need a Raptor pilot? Is that it sir?"

"Hmm, not exactly Major," whined Tolan hinting that Bowman was on the right path but had just missed the mark. "Before I go on any further Major, due to the sensitive nature of the mission I must ask for your answer now. I won't lie to you. This mission is high risk and therefore if you opt out it will not be held against you in anyway."

"But you're stuck right now is that it sir?" shot Bowman. "And if I refuse then you will turn to one of my people to do the job." Bowman's words echoed a tone of concern that Tolan immediately picked up on and thought he could use to his advantage. He cares about his people.

"I don't want it to come to that Major" said Tolan feigning a lack of interest that he knew would make Bowman think that Tolan was just another CO who saw people as numbers not Human beings. "I'd much rather have your experience on my team. Your record is exemplarity except for..."

Tolan reopened Bowman's file to glance down for a specific piece of information. As soon as he found it he looked straight in Bowman's blue eyes as he dug the knife in. "That incident when you were aboard the Battlestar _Daedalus_. Awful shame losing a colleague like that." Tolan sat back in his chair to watch the effect his words were having on Bowman.

Major Bowman knew he was being manipulated and there was nothing he could do. The image Tolan had implanted in Bowman's mind made sure that he dare not leave one of his own pilots at the hands of such a 'maverick' and so, reluctantly, Bowman nodded an acknowledgement.

"Excellent!" smiled Tolan. "Tell you what? Why don't you get some rest Major and then report to me on the starboard Hangar Deck at 0800 tomorrow. I need you to take me somewhere. There's still one more member of the team I need to collect."

"Where are we going?" asked Bowman not expecting an answer.

"You'll see tomorrow!" said Tolan. "Good night Major. You're dismissed!"

As Bowman left the room, he could not help but mentally kick himself over how he had let Tolan manipulate him in such a manner. His mind ran through many things about the man, none of which was particularly pleasant…in fact most would have got him thrown in the brig for insulting a superior officer.

Much like the senior pilot insignia, the A.T.T. had the larger outstretched wings and an additional silver border on the upper edges of the diamond. However, the one Tolan had also had a gold star; meaning that he was among the best in his class…the man may have been a stuck up, manipulative bastard but he knew how to fly.

The thought of that brought another surge of bitterness to run through Bowman. He had applied in hopes of being accepted to Advance Tactical Training, but his application was denied. The thought that a man like Tolan could get in when he could not just grated on his nerves even more than the way the man had manipulated him into agreeing to take part in the mission.

* * *

At 0735hrs Tolan walked out onto the starboard Hangar Deck with Galit Malka at his side. Galit was particularly unhappy that she was not accompanying him on this flight but Tolan stood his ground with her until it was clear to him that she had finally got the message. They stopped and asked one of the deck gang for help in finding the Raptor that had been set aside for this mission. The young 'knuckle dragger' pointed them to the far end of the Hangar Deck where a solitary Raptor sat ready and waiting with Bowman already going through the initial pre-flight checklist. As the two of them neared the Raptor Bowman climbed out of his seat and went to the open hatch to greet them.

"Good morning Major!" called out Tolan to him. "Major Bowman this is Galit Malka of the Ministry of Intelligence. She is also part of our team." Bowman and Malka shared an acknowledging glance that Malka finished with a smile as she looked upon the Raptor pilot in his gold flight suit. "You'll meet the rest of the team when we return."

"Can you tell me where we're going now, sir?" asked Bowman who was exhibiting signs of being more than a little agitated at feeling out of the loop.

"As soon as I'm aboard Major I will brief you" explained Tolan. "Are we ready to depart?"

"Only waiting on you, sir" replied Bowman.

Tolan exchanged a few pleasantries with Galit before turning to leave the flight deck. Bowman returned to the cockpit of the Raptor as Tolan scrambled up the side and followed him in. Tolan closed the hatch behind him and took a seat immediately behind his pilot.

"Ok Major" said Tolan as he reached into his pocket to produce a small piece of paper on which were written several numbers in sequence and handed it to Bowman. "Here it is! These are jump coordinates to Virgon. Our destination is the Crethen Federal Prison. There we are going to collect the last member of our team."

"From a prison?" gasped Bowman! Tolan nodded and the bemused Bowman took the piece of paper off him before resuming the pre-flight checks. A short while later the Raptor was raised from the Hangar Deck to the Landing Deck that sat in the cavernous vacuum filled space inside the Hangar Pod. Since this was a simple transport mission Bowman didn't have a helmet on and Tolan simply wore his standard issue Commander's Duty uniform.

As the deck lift came to a halt Bowman requested clearance for takeoff. The two Colonial Officers had to wait patiently for three Vipers to complete their landing before the Raptor could lift off. An uncomfortable silence, a side effect of their first meeting, consumed the Raptor's interior until Tolan decided to break it.

"I think I've been less than honest with you Major" he explained from the seat behind Bowman. "For that I am truly sorry but you have to understand that I have a mission to accomplish and I need you to do it." Tolan wasn't looking for Bowman to accept his apology. He didn't really care one way or the other as long as Bowman continued to do his job. Tolan watched as Bowman's head turned to the side slightly to listen. It wasn't the cloak-and-dagger stuff Bowman was troubled by and Tolan knew it.

"Y'know, people die all the time in the service. From what I read in your file the incident when you were aboard the _Daedalus_ wasn't your fault."

"With all due respect Commander" shot Bowman. "I know my sins. It don't matter what the record says. It's hung over me like a dark shadow ever since. I've spent everyday trying to make up for it for over five years. I transferred to the _Valkyrie_ hoping I could leave it behind me but it's everywhere I go."

"I can empathize" said Tolan truthfully. "I know what it's like to have a stigma about you. For me it's my family's somewhat....colourful history. From here on out Major I give you my word that I will be open and honest." Bowman nodded in gratitude as a voice crackled in his headset that they were now clear for departure.

The Raptor seemed to glide effortlessly out of the _Valkyrie's_ starboard Hangar Pod into the dark of space. Bowman held the controls while Tolan made himself comfortable in the aft compartment. The two of them readied themselves for just another unexciting trip in a Raptor. 'Mule' work as it was known to Bowman and his pilots.

"Raptor Two-Niner-Niner you are clear of _Valkyrie _airspace. You may proceed at your discretion!"

"Roger that _Valkyrie_" said Bowman over the wireless before imputing the jump coordinates into the FTL computer. "Ok FTL is spooling. Get ready to jump in Five...Four...Th-"

Tolan was thrown from his seat as a deafening roar consumed the Raptor and it began to tumble through space. An alarm began desperately wailing a warning that the atmosphere in the cabin was leaking and the ship was beginning to decompress. "Mayday! Mayday!" yelled out Bowman over the sound of three alarms that now rang out in the cockpit. "This is Raptor Two-Niner-Niner declaring an emergency!"

Bowman fought to wrestle control of the Raptor that was kicking around in a vicious circle. As the tail of the Raptor continued to spin a bright blue trail of leaking Tylium appeared to form a ring in space. Gradually Bowman managed to stop the spin but he was still fighting desperately to prevent the Raptor from doing so again when the Valkyrie came through over the wireless.

"Raptor-Two-Niner-Niner cut power to your engines immediately and await rescue!"

"Negative!" blurted Bowman. "We are losing atmosphere, we don't have time to wait for rescue. I'm going to have to put her on the deck!" The _Valkyrie_ responded with the familiar voice of her commanding officer Commander William Adama.

"Archer this is _Valkyrie_-Actual! You have a cleared deck. Bring her home!"

"Roger that sir" replied Bowman as he pointed the Raptor back towards _Valkyrie_ its tail kicking from side to side like a fish.

As Tolan held onto the support strut for Bowman's seat he realized he didn't know that Bowman's call sign was Archer and wondered how he could have missed such an obvious fact but then again it was a late night and such details are seldom recorded since they were more of an informal accolade. Tolan did little to distract Bowman as he attempted to line the Raptor up on the approach path to the Starboard Hangar Pod.

"I won't be able to put her down under power! We are going to have to cruise it! Point at the deck and kill the engines. Let the inertia put us down!"

"Just like shooting an arrow!" joked Tolan in a not-so-funny kind of way.

The Raptor was still bucking and kicking furiously as Bowman continued the approach. The Landing Officer aboard _Valkyrie_ was trying to help by calling out instructions but all they seemed to do was infuriate Bowman further who uttered "If you think you can do better..." through gritted and angry teeth.

Once he was sure that the Raptor was aiming for the Landing Deck Bowman cut the engines and suddenly the Raptor fell quiet as it now drifted towards the deck. The scene was a stunning juxtaposition to just a few moments ago as only the alarms now indicated that something was wrong. The Landing Deck was fast approaching and it wouldn't have taken a genius to figure out the landing was going to be a hard one. With the deck just a few hundred feet away and closing Bowman ordered "Brace for impact! Brace! Brace! Brace!" Both Bowman and Tolan assumed their crash positions and waited with baited breath for the inevitable.

It came in a deafeningly loud thump followed by the sound of crushing metal as the Raptor slammed into the deck and slid along the magnetized surface. Without stopping it soon began to veer off to the left scraping the deck as it went before colliding into Hangar Pod wall with so much force that the Raptor ricocheted back several feet before finally coming to rest.

* * *

It had been thirty minutes now, and Tolan hadn't left the Hangar Deck since the Raptor was returned to the decks below. He sat on a tool box as a medic addressed a graze to his head he had received from being tossed around the cabin of the Raptor. His whole body seemed to feel sore from the force of the impact and despite the insistence of the medic he refused to go to sickbay for the time being. Instead he stared at the Raptor that had nearly become his tomb. The right engine had a large gaping hole in the side and the whole right side was stained black from the explosion. Tolan watched as the Deck Chief and his team, closely watched by Bowman whose left arm was in a sling, looked over the little ship to determine what had happened.

Adama had arrived and was talking to Tolan when Bowman walked up to them holding a small cylindrical device no bigger than a flashlight in his right hand. Adama and Tolan turned to face the Major who was now standing next to them with a look of burning anger on his face.

"Is that what caused it?" asked Adama.

"Yes sir!" replied Bowman. "It's a Tylium Transfer Regulator. It controls the amount of Tylium that's fed to the engine as the FTL spools up. This one has been worn down. As our FTL spooled up the regulator failed and flooded the engine with Tylium causing an overload."

"So it's just bad luck then?" asked Tolan who examined the device for himself.

"No sir!" said Bowman confidently. He suddenly caught the attention of the two Commanders in his vicinity both shocked at his answer and eager for an explanation.

"Those regulators are changed every month and Two-Niner-Niner's was changed just over a week ago. That looks like it hasn't been changed for over a year. Also the regulator has a safety valve attached to it that locks in place should the regulator fail. The FTL system would automatically shut down and we'd still have a flyable bird. Now the regulator failing is one thing but both the regulator and the safety valve going at the same time...the odds are astronomical!"

Both Adama and Tolan knew what Bowman was getting at but he would have to say it for them if it were to truly sink in after all who would want to believe it? "In my opinion and the Chief's, we think the Raptor was sabotaged. This was an effort to kill you, sir!" said Bowman to Tolan. "And it very nearly succeeded."

"Sabotage!" uttered Adama in disbelief. "If that's true..."

"Then the _Valkyrie_ has been compromised" finished Bowman.

"I'm afraid it's worse than that gentlemen" added Tolan. "The mission itself has been compromised!"

The three of them took a few moments to truly assimilate their conclusion. Tolan knew what he had to do and he turned to Adama and said, "I have to report this to Admiral Corman. Please excuse me!" With that he left the two of them looking in open mouthed disgust at the sight of the damaged Raptor. It was not the sight of the damage itself but rather what it meant;

The S.L.A. has at least one supporter onboard the _Valkyrie._

Like most large vessels in the Colonial Fleet, the _Valkyrie _had a weight room for its crew to exercise and stay in shape. For Tolan, it provided a chance to work off the growing anger and frustration that came from the attempt on his life. He had already done three sets of bench presses, now he was working on his first set of military presses.

'One.' Tolan called out to himself mentally, the burn of his anger fuelling his body.

Also in his mind he heard the rapid-fire staccato of machine gun bullets.

'Two.'

'Scott, get down!' the alert voice of his brother Andrew who had taken him by the shoulders and thrown him down hard onto the sidewalk as bullets pelted the spot where he had been standing.

'Three.' He was once again a twelve year old boy who was on Scythia Beach back on Canceron.

'Four.' He was cradling Andrew's head, looking into the lifeless eyes of his older brother, calling out for help and scared that whoever had done this would come back for him.

'Five.' The helplessness consumed him that night, the fear he felt had paralyzed him and kept him from doing something for what felt like an eternity.

'Six.' He had promised after that day to never feel that way again. The next time someone came for him he would be a man of action instead of a victim lost in the chaos and confusion.

'Seven.' He had kept to that promise, and today someone had tried to kill him.

'Eight.' He tried to focus on now, not something that had happened years ago.

'Nine.' Just one more rep…that might help him to regain his focus.

'Ten.' That was it, he laid the bar back into its resting position and wiped the sweat off of his face with the front of his shirt. He had not anticipated his memories of his brother's death to come back.

"I would have never pegged you as a workout warrior, Commander." A voice behind him announced after he set the bar back in its place following his first set.

"Keeps me in shape, and I can burn off the anger at whoever tried to kill me." Tolan said as he stood up to turn and face Galit Malka.

"I suppose a 'Thank you' is in order, if I had gone with you…well you know…" she seemed unable to voice what she wanted to say.

"We never know how things play out, but I'm glad you weren't there…the ride got a little bumpy."

"I imagine."

"Commander Tolan!" a voice called out to them from the entrance to the weight room.

"Major Bowman." Tolan said in acknowledgement.

Bowman walked over to where he and Malka were standing, "Commander Adama wishes to have a word with you concerning the 'incident' earlier today."

"Very well then, Galit we'll talk later." Tolan said before turning and leaving the room.

"I do hope he changes into his uniform first; workout clothes just don't send the right message…" Galit said to herself before saying to Bowman, "Well Major that was quite a display of flying earlier. I think you and the Commander would have bought it if you hadn't flown so well."

"Thank you, it was tense there for a moment." Bowman remembered something he had seen on the Commander's uniform, "Tolan could have done it just as well, I saw the A.T.T. pin on his uniform."

"I saw a mention of A.T.T. in his profile, but didn't research it." Galit said slightly embarrassed.

"A.T.T. stands for 'Advanced Tactical Training'; a course that only the best of the best pilots got to take. The application rates for slots on each class are high, but the attrition rate for students is higher. On average, only fifty percent of any class lasts until graduation. Graduates wear the A.T.T. patch on their flight suits with particular pride. A smaller A.T.T. pin went on the graduate's dress grays. Commander Tolan's pin bears the gold star of an honors graduate – 'the best of the best of his class'."

"Wow…" Galit said, "I'm surprised you weren't selected for that class."

"I applied, but it just wasn't meant to be. It was a dream of mine though…"

"Well I think you showed today that you belonged there." Galit said with a smile, hoping to lighten the mood that had suddenly turned somber.

"Thanks."

Galit decided to take a chance, "I know about the _Daedalus_, I read the report on you once Tolan selected you for the mission."

"I've already had the commander play that card; I don't want to hear it again."

"Fine, but I think Tolan had a reason for selecting you. You're not the first officer to screw up and you won't be the last. Even our fearless leader had a monumental frak up!"

"Yeah well he wasn't the reason behind someone's death was he?" Bowman said with a voice tinged with bitterness.

"No he didn't, but he ruined a person's life because of his recklessness."

"What?"

Galit moved closer to Bowman, "He ruined the life of his XO and almost killed her career."

Galit then went on to explain the scandal involving Tolan and Bridget Woods before adding, "Using my degree in Psychology, I would have to say that he carries a strong sense of guilt over what happened. He blames himself and has done all he could to make it up to her. He made her his XO when he got command of the _Vanguard_. I believe that he holds himself responsible for costing her a life she wanted for herself and almost ruining her career."

"It's not the same."

"It's not identical, but the two of you are honorable men and you both feel the burden of responsibility more strongly than others. I'm not telling you to get over it and forget what happened. Channel that into something more useful, don't let it consume you."

Before Bowman could answer, she had turned and left the room.

He saw her turn left and quickly went after her, "Miss Psychology Major…" he began, "Explain to me why he joined the Fleet instead of staying in the family business."

She smiled at him, "Here I thought you were going to challenge me! Tolan lost his older brother in a drive-by shooting, in fact his brother died protecting him. I think that would be enough to dissuade him. He joined the Fleet to contribute to society and do something respectable. Make something of his life in a way that would make his brother's sacrifice worthwhile. The man carries a lot of pain beneath that professional surface; he hides it well to most people."

"You haven't tried this psychology analysis on me…right?"

Galit got in close and raised her head to his ear, "You'll have to guess that for yourself, Archer."

Bowman was speechless, and by the time he found something to say she gave him a sly smile and turned to walk away.

"I'm an excellent judge of character. You'll find my assessments to be right on the money." She called out to him as she walked down the corridor.

Scott Tolan sat across the desk from Commander William Adama. The two men had barely had time to speak since he had come aboard the _Valkyrie_. Now he was getting another piece of news from the older man that was far from pleasant.

"This is not good, any idea what happened?"

Adama shook his head, "I have my people going over the logs and video now. Agent Barron is assisting them. Whoever did this knows why you're here."

Someone had sabotaged the jump drive on the scout ship _Sica _that essentially meant they had no way of getting to wherever the S.L.A. base was located.

"I can probably get my family to supply a shuttle with FTL capability." Tolan said.

"I'd rather wait until we know who's behind this."

Tolan nodded, "As it is the mission is in jeopardy, I'm going to my quarters to try to get a plan together. Let me know when we have a development."

Life on the battlestar _Vanguard_ had taken on a sort of monotony since the exchange with the _Valkyrie_. The Fifteenth Fleet was scheduled to begin their annual fleet exercises, known this year as 'Operation Gonen'. The _Vanguard _would be joining four of the five battlestars in battle group. The _Caprica_, _Stryker_, _Ares_, and _Perun_ would join up with the _Vanguard_ for weapons tests, target practice, and the pilots would be recertified on their viper qualifications. The battlestar _Zarya _was preparing to undergo a six-month overhaul at the Quirinus Shipyards. The shipyards were a part of the Taurus Space Complex near Tauron.

The phone in her quarters began to ring; she got off of her bed and walked to her desk to pick up the phone.

"Woods." She stated as she waited for the reply.

"Colonel there is a priority one call for you from the _Caprica_," Ensign Keri Collier, the on-duty communications officer, announced.

"Very well, put the call through." Woods said, wondering why she was receiving a priority one from the flagship of the Fifteenth Fleet.

"Colonel Woods this is Admiral Stanford," the deep, booming voice belonged to Admiral Terrence Stanford …the flag officer in charge of the Fifteenth Fleet.

"Yes sir, what can I do for you?" Woods asked immediately.

"After consulting with Fleet Command, the decision has been made to have _Vanguard_ go in for its scheduled overhaul instead of the _Zarya_. The decision was made less than an hour ago."

"I see…" Woods began; knowing that there was no way she could hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Colonel this was not an easy decision we made, but we felt that it was in the best interest of the battle group that we switch out the _Vanguard_ and the _Zarya_."

'Yeah frakkin' right…' she thought to herself before saying, "Of course sir, I will began making preparations for the overhaul. Actual out." Hanging up the phone, she felt a numbness begin to go over her mind. The change in plans felt like a slap in the face to her, as though Admiral Stanford lacked faith in her abilities and went behind her back to make sure she did not command the _Vanguard_ during the exercises.

There was little she could do about it, so she decided to take the necessary steps to get the ship ready to put into dock. An idea hit her, with the nature of the mission Scott was on…it would not hurt for her to have a word with Emily to let her know where her husband was.


	3. Chapter 3: Chasing Shadows

Chapter Three: Chasing Shadows

Bowman sat at his desk in his personal quarters on the _Valkyrie_. It had been eight hours since his talk with Galit Malka; and he hated to admit it, but what she said to him had gotten under his skin. He felt a twinge of guilt for what he had done, but felt it was a necessity. He had waited until Malka and Keene Barron left their room and made their way to Tolan's quarters for what he overheard was a meeting of some kind. Then when the coast was clear, he went into the quarters the two agents shared and lifted the file on Commander Scott Edward Tolan, a man he could not help but regard as a bit of an ass. To his surprise the file was not a Colonial Fleet file, but instead bore the stamp of the Ministry of Intelligence. He wondered for a moment why they would have a file on Tolan until he remembered that the man was from the family that ran a crime a syndicate on Canceron.

"Well, Commander, I guess they want to keep tabs on you in case the apple didn't fall far from the tree," he said aloud.

'Graduated from Abry Military Academy on Canceron before attending the Colonial Fleet Academy…. Graduated in thirteenth in his class at the Academy. Raymond Lai, an instructor in Viper Tactics, had this to say about Tolan: 'Cadet Tolan regularly uses cunning, guile, and intellect to overcome obstacles. While he can at times push his luck, he has yet to put any of his classmates in danger." Upon Graduation was posted as an Ensign to the battlestar _Galactica_, upon promotion to Captain was made squadron leader on _Galactica_, after one year was transferred to the battlestar _Majestic_ as a squadron leader. After six months was selected for Advanced Tactical Training, promoted to Major and served six months on the staff of Admiral Gayle Meyer, then came the assignment to battlestar _Mercury _as CAG. After one year was promoted to Lt. Colonel and assigned to battlestar _Elektra_ as Tactical Officer. After three years was promoted to the rank of Colonel and made Executive Officer of the battlestar _Atlantia_. Following his two years on the _Atlantia _he was promoted to Commander and given command of the battlestar _Vanguard_, before coming to _Valkyrie_ to drag me into some cloak and dagger nonsense,' Bowman thought bitterly as he read through the standard fleet dossier on the Commander. That was not what he really wanted to see, though parts of it were helpful to him in a way.

Before turning his attention away from Tolan's file, he browsed through the family history. Tolan's father, Henry, was a Warrant Engineer on the battlestars _Columbia_, _Courageous_, and the escort battlestar _Orianos_. He passed away from terminal cancer two years after Tolan was born. There was a part of Bowman that found it hard to believe that the Commander's father had been in the Colonial Fleet and fought in the same war as his grandfather had. The only difference was that Henry Tolan worked in the Engineering Department. It seemed likely that Tolan must have used his family connections to get the chance to play soldier. He seemed to have no idea of the honor and responsibility that came from wearing the uniform of a Colonial Fleet officer. Tolan's mother, Sylvia, was still alive and lived in the small town of Clio on Canceron. He also had an older brother named Andrew who…died in a drive-by shooting at Scythia Beach on Canceron.

Bowman pulled out a printout of a newspaper clipping, and his eyes grew wide as he read it. Scott Tolan, twelve years-old at the time, had been present when his brother was gunned down. 'Just what effect did that have on you Commander...?'

He pulled out another profile, this one of a girl who could not have been more than twelve. Name: Lacey Rachelle Tolan. Age: Fourteen Education: Ninth Grade at Conall High School in Clio, Canceron. Bowman scanned the basics, and his confusion over Lacey Tolan's inclusion became clear when he read about the car accident that claimed her parents' lives on Colonial Day six years ago. Following their death, she had been placed in the care of her aunt Sylvia Tolan.

"Well now...Tragedy follows you everywhere doesn't it Commander?" Bowman said aloud, a feeling of dread beginning to form in the pit of his stomach. There was a part of his mind that screamed there was a chance that this mission may end up as another tragic footnote in Tolan's folder.

He went through the smaller folders contained in the larger folder and found one labeled 'Emily Tolan'. Bowman opened it and pulled out a picture of a stunning red head in an evening gown with a sash that read 'Miss Caprica'. She was a beauty queen, Bowman tried not to think of all the stereotypes that would have entailed; instead he focused on the picture. She had a set of blue eyes that he imagined one could easily get lost in and a smile that conveyed genuine kindness. He pulled out the file card and began to read.

'Emily Serina Tolan, née Graystone. Age: Twenty-four. Height: 5'11". Weight: 130 pounds. Marital Status: Married to Commander Scott Tolan. Children: None. Education: Graduated from Athena Academy, Caprica. Graduated from Apollo University, Bachelor's Degree in Sociology, Associate's Degree in Education.'

He could not believe that a woman such as Emily Graystone could have fallen for a man like Tolan. Bowman could not shake his anger at the man, and probably his anger in general at how his own life had turned lately. The man with the 'colorful' family history was a manipulator and knew too much about playing politics. How else could a man only a year or so older than him be moved up to a higher rank. Here he was having made the rank of Major when Tolan had skyrocketed all the way up to Commander. A good two ranks higher than him, and Bowman felt a feeling of bitter envy well up inside of him. He looked at the picture again, and began to think about Brooke Garner. She was ten years younger than him; and her family disapproved of their relationship in the strongest terms. She did not seem to let it get to her, but it tore him apart and only added to the burden he already felt he was carrying. Not long before he was to join the _Valkyrie_ for this deployment he had called off their relationship, knowing he was breaking her heart but feeling it was best that they both move on with their lives.

He set the folder down on his desk, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes. He cared about Brooke; and no matter how hard he tried, he could not help but feel he was just running away from a woman who meant a lot to him. His mind began to drift and slowly he began to dream of Brooke. The way she felt in his arms, the way she would massage his back when it was feeling sore… It was like he could feel her hands on his shoulders massaging away the tension that had built up.

"That feels so good…," he said, seemingly talking in his sleep.

"I'm glad you like it," the sweet voice whispered, it was as though she was right here in the room with him.

"Gods, I've needed this… You know what you're doing."

"I have a knack for massaging," she said, making his muscles relax in a way they had not been able to in so long.

"Yes you do," Bowman said before feeling a sharp jab of pain at the base his neck that brought him out of his dreamlike state and up out of his chair. He spun around and was face to face with Galit Malka.

The Ministry of Intelligence agent moved back towards Bowman's bunk and gave him a mischievous smile, "You take chances, my friend. It would be a good idea to lock your door."

Bowman rubbed at the back of his neck where Malka must have used her hands to hit a nerve, "Would it have done any good?"

She shook her head, "Not at all. Enjoying your reading material?"

Bowman looked down at the file, "How'd you know?"

"You think I would be so amateurish as to leave a sensitive file where it could be lifted? Besides, I had video surveillance in the room and when you broke into my quarters I saw you take the file," Malka held up a little handheld device with a screen on the front and sat down beside him. "You got to love modern technology, watch…" She hit a button and the screen came to life. Bowman watched as he saw himself enter the room.

"Now watch closely, this is my favorite part!" Malka said excitedly as though they on a date watching a movie.

'She is enjoying this,' Bowman thought, mentally kicking himself for falling into her trap.

Bowman looked at the screen and watched as he lifted the Tolan file and left the room.

"I'm telling you, a good movie is hard to find!" Malka said as she stood up from her seat and walked over to stand in front of him.

"So you left it there for me to find?"

Malka simply nodded.

"You set me up; why?" Bowman demanded.

"I could tell you were intrigued by what I told you about Commander Tolan. I also deduced that you would not go to him personally to see what information you could get out of him. So I left that little file out for you to find and read up on the man who is temporarily your commanding officer."

"You do not play nice, Miss Psychology Major."

Malka yawned as though she was bored, "I never said I did, Mr. Ace Pilot."

"Am I to believe that he weighed, appraised, and then selected me out of everyone on this battlestar?"

"Don't get too conceited. It's not a very large battlestar."

"You are a piece of work, whatever did I do to deserve you coming into my life." Bowman said with a deadpan expression.

"Just so you know Ace, it would break my heart if I had to put a bullet in your back."

Bowman could tell she was being playful with him; at least that was what he had hoped she was being. "It would make me sad also."

The feeling of impending doom began to creep back and Bowman became silent. On top of that, Malka was not offering anymore conversation. As though she was letting him hang there worrying about what would happen next.

"What happens now?" Bowman asked, feeling a sense of dread form in his stomach.

"Officially I brought you this file on Tolan so you could read and get better feel for the man. Nothing wrong with having you prepped for this mission. So sit and we'll talk."

Bowman did just that, letting out a sigh of relief.

"One more thing, pull a stunt like this again and…well I'll just leave that up to your imagination. With that said, let's talk about our fearless leader." Malka pulled up a chair so that she sat next to Bowman.

When they were done talking about Tolan, Bowman decided to push the conversation in another direction.

"What's your story?"

"Not much of a story to me I'm afraid."

"Sure there is, you have to have family. I mean, even you were born."

"You're right about half of that statement. I was born but I have no family."

"What do you mean?"

"I was left on the doorstep of the Temple of Artemis in Caprica City. There was an orphanage on the grounds of the Temple and that is where I grew up. I don't have a family, in some ways that makes me the perfect agent. I can go on missions other agents would not feel comfortable with. It also means I can't get compromised the same way the President has right now."

"That's a fairly sad existence don't you think? Not having anyone to turn to when the smoke settles."

"Don't feel sorry for me Ace. I turned out fine. I'm a survivor and I refuse to be a victim. Besides, you can't miss what you never had."

"You are full of surprises."

She winked at him, "I try…I also cook for fun, am not afraid to watch a 'chick flick', and I am a sucker for a good beach. Just laying there listening to the waves crashing on the shore it just relaxes me and puts my mind at ease."

"Indeed you are Psych."

"So it's 'Psych' now is it?"

For the first time since she came into the room Bowman smiled, "You called me 'Ace' so I'm returning the favor."

"What else do I not know about you?" Bowman wanted to keep the conversation going.

"Let me make this good. I dyed my hair brown for this operation and I'm wearing colored contact lenses. I'm actually a blonde and I have brown eyes."

"Alright, now why did you change your appearance?"

"Changing how I look can make it more difficult to point me out in a crowd. In case anyone here had seen me before, especially since we know there's at least one S.L.A. operative here on the _Valkyrie_."

He noticed a necklace she was wearing, with a charm hanging from the front of it. A gold star crossed by two arrows.

Malka must have seen where his eyes were focused, "If you're looking at what I _think_ you're looking at, it's the symbol of the Temple of Artemis."

"How'd you know that was what I was looking at?"

She simply smiled back at him, "Because the other thing you would have been looking at would have involved you at least taking me out to dinner. Besides you're too much of a gentleman to just stare at my breasts."

* * *

Bridget Woods had just arrived on Caprica, and felt as though she had just returned home. The _Vanguard_ was safely tucked away in the Scorpion Shipyards for what she was sure would be minor overhaul. Now she stood in the parking lot waiting for her ride to arrive. She knew it had been short notice, but perhaps the rental car company could pull off a minor miracle and arrive with her ride.

Another part of her thought it would be alright to wait. While Emily Tolan knew of the history between her and Scott, it seemed to create an atmosphere around the two women that was somewhat cool.

A few steadying breaths calmed her nerves and she left her rental car and walked to the front of the house. She pressed the doorbell and was greeted by Lt. Andrea Graystone.

"Colonel Woods, I'm surprised to see you." Lt. Graystone said after coming to attention and giving Woods a salute. Andrea Graystone was currently assigned to the battlestar_ Solaria_, and would have had a higher rank than Lieutenant but she seemed to always find trouble somehow.

"At ease Lieutenant, this is sort of a social call." Woods said after returning the salute.

"If you're here then where is Scott, the _Vanguard_ was still deployed to my knowledge."

"Plans changed. Scott is the reason I came for this visit, is Emily able to see visitors?"

Andrea motioned for Woods to follow her and the two women made their way up a winding staircase.

"Where is your brother?" Woods asked.

"He went into Caprica City to get dinner for tonight. I think we're going with some food from Jona's Restaurant."

"They serve fine Gemonese if I'm not mistaken."

Andrea nodded her head, "Yeah, we haven't ate there in forever so we thought we'd give it a try to see if it's as good as we remember it."

The two women made it to the door to Emily's room. Bridget swore she heard a man's voice in there.

"Is there someone visiting your sister?" Bridget asked.

"Yeah, the doctor is checking up on her. He and his nurse are in there now. If you'll excuse me," she knocked on the door and entered.

A moment later the door opened for Woods to enter and she walked in. After she entered the room Andrea left and closed the door behind her.

"Bridget, I'm surprised to see you here!" Emily said to her. She lay in the large bed, looking tired and about ready to fall asleep.

"You must be Colonel Woods, Emily has told me a lot about you." The doctor said as he walked up and held out his hand, "Dr. Bryce Sabus and this is Kathryn Lena, my assistant." Sabus motioned with his head to the young woman sitting by the bed taking notes.

Bridget Woods took in the sight of the doctor. He was tall with a broad-shouldered masculine build. His short black hair looked well-kept and he carried himself with what seemed to be an air of nobility. She had the impression that his green eyes were sizing her up in about the same way she was doing to him. There was something to his eyes that caught her off-guard. It reminded her of the time she went with her parents to the Anasice Zoo in Caprica City. In the wolf exhibit she remembered looking at the animals and sensing the predatory instinct in some of them. It unnerved her that day at the zoo and she got the same feeling looking at Dr. Bryce Sabus.

"You're recovering nicely Emily, won't be too much longer until you're back up on your feet." Sabus said with a smile as he gathered up his things to leave.

"Thank you Dr. Sabus." Emily said with an attempt to smile.

"I've told you before you can call me 'Bryce'. Until Dr. Padilla is able to return from her family emergency, I'm your doctor and I prefer to be on a first-name basis with my patients."

"Thank you…Bryce."

When the doctor and his assistant left Woods rolled her eyes and pulled up a seat next to the bed, "Scott was worried about you."

"I knew he was, though he could have told me in person."

"I know you may want to sometimes, but don't shoot the messenger."

"Sorry, you know it's a bit complicated when it comes to you."

"I know, and there is a good reason why I'm here instead of Scott…"Bridget began the story going starting from when Tolan confronted Robert Reynolds and ending with the story of _Vanguard _being placed in overhaul.

"Is it always going to be like this between us?" Emily asked after a long silence.

"I don't know. There are times when I wonder if you hold a grudge because of what happened between Scott and me. Then again, there are times Emily when I envy you."

"I can't imagine why. Right now I feel more like a defective piece of equipment than I do anything else."

Woods took a steadying breath before saying, "Apart from that weekend at the condo, I have never seen Scott's face in the morning light. He has never rushed to spend time with me when a deployment is over. He wanted to have kids with you, and you are the woman he gave his last name to."

"There are times when it just burns me that I have to share him with you, knowing the history between you and him. I have to wonder where his heart belongs."

"I know how he feels, it's not complicated."

"Well Bridget, things tend to get complicated when you screw your boss."

"That's not fair Emily! What happened between Scott and I was before you were even in the picture."

Emily was silent; she sat there in bed shooting eye daggers at the woman she felt was competition for Scott's affections.

Bridget pressed on, not wanting the silence between them to become too heavy. "Scott loves you, and we both know that. I know there are going to be some issues between him and me. I learned after the miscarriage how much you mean to him."

Emily arched an eyebrow, "Just how did you find this out?"

"Because the man cried on my shoulder for Gods-knows how long when he got the report on you after the miscarriage…"

"What?"

"He cried not only for the baby, but hearing that you were in danger of not making it…that was too much for him. I was there in his quarters with him and all I could do was put my arms around him and console him. A man that in all the time I've known him has never shed a tear cried a river at the thought that he would lose his wife."

Emily was almost speechless, "I've never seen him like that, that's not the Scott I know."

"I care about Scott; some say more than I'm supposed to. The fact is though that I chose my career over him."

"What did happen between the two of you? I wanted to ask Scott but I never got the nerve."

"In the aftermath of the scandal he told me that he would be with me, but one of us had to resign from the Fleet. I was just an Ensign, and it wouldn't have hurt me too much. I had my parents' voices playing in my head, and I just couldn't do it. At the time I felt I owed it to my parents to further my career as best I could, after all they needed that for their campaigns. I threw away a chance to be with Scott because in some strange screwed up way I thought I would redeem myself in my parents' eyes."

"Do you ever wish you could take it back?"

"Woman to woman, yeah sometimes I do. The thing is I would never want to steal him from you, yes you have to share him with me but it's not romantic."

* * *

Outside of the Tolan residence Dr. Bryce Sabus sat behind the wheel of his sports car. He punched in the numbers on his phone and waited for the person on the other end to pick up.

"Hello." The voice said.

"Thaddeus, how are you brother?"

A yawn then, "Being the king of our people is work, though I am no longer recognized as such." Hereditary titles had been abolished on Caprica long before other colonies had followed suit. The Sabus family had been royalty in their Caprican territory, though now the title was merely ceremonial.

Eventually the conversation turned to the subject of Emily Tolan and Bryce Sabus did not hesitate to give his brother the verdict, "Perfect, a woman possessed with intelligence and beauty."" he said.

"You want to take her as your own, but what of her husband?"

"He is a career military officer who is away most of the time. It will be easy for me to persuade her to give up this life she finds herself trapped in."

"You went in to this field of medicine so you could find genetically perfect women for our family. From what you have told me she is a woman who suffered a miscarriage, what does that say to you?"

"Emily Tolan is truly a genetically superior female; she should be with a genetically superior male."

"I take it that you believe that means you?"

"Yes, the royal family of Sabus has been breeding humans superior in size and brains for hundreds of years. I believe this woman will be perfect for me to mate with. She is tall, athletic, brilliant, and physically well endowed."

"Very well then, as your king and older brother I give you my permission to pursue this union. If I can be on any assistance let me know."

* * *

"I just got off the phone with the warden at Crethen Prison; they're going to hold Marcellus Britt until we can find our saboteurs." Keene Barron said.

"I can't say I blame them, I just wish we could hurry up and find the bastards." Tolan remarked. He looked around the sparsely decorated quarters he would be occupying until his team left on their mission.

"Then there's the matter of transportation, will we be able to use the scout ship or will we have to acquire a shuttle…do you know?"

Tolan shook his head, "Adama has told me that when he knows something then I'll know something. It's his ship so I won't get pushy with him."

"I guess it's something about you commanders and your proud battlestars. Sort of like having your own personal kingdom."

"Come now Barron, I have yet to fully establish myself as king of the Vanguard. I need at least another year or two for that to happen." Tolan and Barron both started laughing. Silly as it may have seemed, there was enough going on that it helped to ease the tension.

"Any idea where Malka and Bowman are?" Tolan asked.

Barron shook his head, "I thought she was going to brief him on some recent updates regarding the mission. It's not like her to take so much time talking to someone."

* * *

"Hey Zayre, what do you think you're doing?" Bowman asked Ensign Morris Zayre, a new pilot recently assigned to the _Valkyrie_.

"Nothing sir, I'm just taking a look at this picture of my girlfriend back on Aquaria." Morris said referring to the photo he was holding in his hands.

"The hangar isn't the place to be doing that."

Morris nodded, "Yes sir, just another moment then I'll head out."

Bowman simply nodded his head and went to the part of the hangar where Tolan was briefing the members of his party.

"Major Bowman, glad you could join us." Tolan said, hiding any trace of irritation at his second-in-command's tardiness.

"Sorry Commander had an issue with the temporary CAG that needed to be sorted out."

"Understood," Tolan said before turning his attention back to the matter at hand, "With this act of sabotage I want all of you to report anything suspicious to Commander Adama, Major Bowman, or myself. Somebody on this ship knows why we're here and wants to make us aware of it."

A group of the _Valkyrie's_ Marine Detachment were undergoing drills in the Port Hangar Bay, it seemed as though there were some new additions straight out of boot camp. Tolan didn't pay any attention until over the din of the work going on in the hangar he thought he heard a shout of 'Grenade!' Tolan looked and saw the object in question rolling towards him and his group.

"Grenade, hit the deck!" Tolan bellowed as the errant grenade made its way to the area his team had assembled at.

Everyone ran except for Bowman, who saw Zayre still standing against the wall looking at the photo of his girlfriend. Bowman sprinted towards the Ensign to try to get him to safety.

He grabbed Zayre in a tackle and threw him behind a nearby Raptor. As soon as they hit the deck the grenade went off with a loud explosion that echoed in the hangar bay.

Bowman got on one knee and grabbed Zayre's shirt to pull him halfway up so the two men made eye contact, "You idiot! When are you going to wake up? You want to see that woman again," Bowman gestured to the photo of the woman Zayre had been looking at, "then keep your mind on your work."

Before Zayre could protest, Bowman had stood up and walked away.

Sgt. Coralie Jaillet, one of the Marines with Tolan's group, walked over to him and offered him a hand. When he was up she walked away to rejoin the other three Marines.

Zayre felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Commander Tolan. He felt a flush of embarrassment over what had just happened.

"Son, I know you have probably realized this but in case you didn't know…you just had your life saved."

Bowman heard his name and turned to see the Commander coming his way. "Bowman, I just wanted to say that was a damn fine rescue you just pulled there."

"Thank you Commander, I just didn't want to lose another pilot on my watch…even if he was being an idiot."

"He owes you his life; hopefully he had his eyes opened by that. Though you might have been a bit quick to scold him, that grenade had just gone off."

Bowman shrugged his shoulders, "Instinct I guess, you know all about the _Daedleus_ and I just don't want to lose another person under my command who didn't have to die."

"You did well there Major, though you might have come down a bit too hard on the guy." Tolan said when he caught up to Bowman.

"No offense sir, but I can't have that kind of behavior from my pilots. He could have died because his stupidity!"

"I understand, just don't be so quick to drop the hammer down like that."

"I'm not here to be liked sir, I am here to lead the air group and keep them alive."

Tolan thought he sensed something veiled towards him with that statement but he had a point to make, "Listen Bowman, we are in the military and part of the life we lead involves an element of risk. Gods know we're not promised tomorrow and anything could happen. You can't control everything, and you have to accept the risk that comes with our job."

"You may feel that way Commander, but it doesn't mean I have to. I respectfully disagree with you on that, you can expose us to such recklessness, but I am not going to let someone die if I can help it."

"You don't want to lose another person like you did on the _Daedleus_."

"It's not fair to bring that up."

"My prerogative as Commander, but I want to let you know something. We've all made our share of mistakes; the important thing is what we take from them to use to better ourselves." Tolan said as he walked off down a corridor.

Bowman stood there to try to gather his thoughts, he looked down the corridor that Tolan had walked down and said to himself, 'This mission should be a success Tolan, I just don't know if it will be because of you or in spite of you.'

* * *

The far end of the Starboard Hangar Deck was unusually quiet in contrast to the otherwise busy section of the ship. Much of the air wing was aboard with only the standard CAP orbiting the vessel nearby so the knucledraggers were taking the hiatus to clean and maintain the deck itself. Galit Malka made her way across to the solitary Raptor that sat tucked away into a corner out of the way of the comings and goings of the knuckledraggers. This particular Raptor had a large gaping hole on one side and its hull was corched from the explosion that had almost destroyed it.

As she neared the Raptor, she spied through the front windscreen Scott Tolan perched on the fold down bench that he had occupied when he was aboard the small vessel when the fuel line ruptured due to sabotage. She climbed up the port wing and clambered into the cabin. Scott seemed to take a few moments to register her arrival. He was staring intensely at an invisible spot on the opposite wall of the cabin, his mind apparently light years away. Galit had intended to have a word with the Commander but when she saw his eyes she knew that he was not to be interrupted. She did not need a degree in psychology to know that, it was human instinct.

"I can remember the first time my life was ever really in danger," he uttered to her although the words seemed more aimed back on himself. "I mean _really_ in danger. It was when my brother was killed on Canceron...but you know all about that, Lieutenant."

Galit smiled a sly acknowledgement before Tolan continued, "I've had my life hanging in the balance several times since but I never felt so helpless as I did that day until yesterday in this Raptor. Oh I had no doubt that the Major would get me back down on the deck but I just felt so helpless. And now, as I look back, do you know that all I can think about is how selfish I was yesterday. I was worried about my own skin so much that I'd almost forgotten about Emily. She's back on Caprica recovering from a miscarriage and I'm out here in the firing line. If I was killed yesterday it would finish her completely."

"I see," said Galit. "Are you considering giving up on the mission?"

"I can't do that now, Lieutenant. Even if I wanted to. I've committed myself to rescuing the hostages."

"Are you feeling guilty about not being able to be with your wife?" asked Galit. "Or the fact that you chose to hide away in your work? To run from the fact that the two of you have suffered a terrible tragedy?"

Tolan was shocked by her bluntness. "You sure are direct aren't you?"

"I grew up in an orphanage, Commander. There were no secrets from anyone there. Ironic really that I should find myself in a profession where I deal with secrets on a daily basis."

"I guess so," said Tolan who swallowed a rather large lump that had appeared in his throat. "So with that in mind let me ask you something? Are you working for me or Corman?"

"Sir?" asked Galit confused.

"I don't know Corman personally, I'm still pretty much an outsider, but I know his reputation. I can't see him being too excited at the prospect of announcing that it was through a criminal family's ties that Adar's sister and niece were rescued. It hardly does anything for the prestege of the fleet but I was thinking; If the hostages were rescued in a military operation then Corman would have some pull over Adar and it might convince him to reverse the latest round of defence cuts being proposed to the Quorom._ Politics is built around favors_."

"I see where you're going with this, Commander," said Galit. "But what makes you think I'm working for Corman?"

"It's just a theory I'm floating," said Tolan. "You're in the perfect position to report back to him on our progress."

"Ah but you're forgetting, Commander. I work for the MoI not the Military and certainly not Corman. My job here is to protect you and act as liason between you and the MoI. But if you feel I haven't already earned your trust then I will gladly step aside."

"No!" shot Tolan realising he was taking this a bit far. "That won't be necessary. I just wanted to test you. You passed."

"Glad to hear it," said Galit. It was at that point that Tolan saw Bowman walking across the Hangar Deck towards the Raptor. Tolan raised his right hand and signalled through the windscreen for him to join them inside.

"Hello Major," said Tolan.

"Hi 'Ace'" chuckled Galit turning Bowman a mild shade of pink in the face.

"Lieutenant," replied Bowman before turning to the Commander. "Commander Tolan, Commander Adama wanted me to inform you that the shuttle with the IAB team is currently on finals."

"Thank you, Major," replied Tolan. Bowman nodded an acknowledgement to the two of them before turning away leaving a distinctly cold atmosphere between him and Tolan.

"What about Bowman?" asked Tolan when the Major was out of earshot. "He has fought me every step of the way so far. I'm sure he would be more than happy to see _my_ mission fail."

Galit seemed to smirk as if to tell herself a private joke. "With all due respect Commander I think you're looking too much into this. The Major may not like you very much but when he gets his orders he is a committed individual. If there is a weak link in your chain I don't think it's there."

"You seemed to have got quite close," noted Tolan.

"I don't think anyone is going to get close to him for a while. He has closed his heart to everyone."

Tolan's thoughts shot back to his wife on Caprica and he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his chest. "In that respect I envy him."

* * *

"An Internal Affairs team boarded about half an hour ago. The Admiralty wanted the incident with the grenade investigated, and perhaps they can get to the bottom of this." Adama said to Tolan and Bowman.

The atmosphere in the Commander's Quarters chilled considerably; both Commander Tolan and Major Bowman could not hide the looks of skepticism on their faces.

"Once they're settled in I'd like to have a word with the person in charge of the team." Tolan said, though it probably came out as more of a demand.

"I had a feeling you would want that, I've already passed word along to the lead investigator." Adama said.

"What was the investigator's response?" Tolan asked.

"She said that 'While she appreciates your concern she will not be rushed.'"

"Thank you Commander Adama, Major Bowman and I will be on our way." Tolan said as the two officers stood. Tolan shook hands with Adama and Bowman saluted before leaving the room.

"Where are going to, sir?" Bowman asked once they had closed the door to Adama's quarters.

"Come now Bowman, I'm sure you already know the answer to that."

"We're going to meet the investigator?"

Tolan nodded, "Oh yes, Miss 'I will not be rushed' is about to get rushed if I have anything to say about it."

When they arrived at the quarters being occupied by the Internal Affairs team, Tolan knocked on the door and waited for an answer. None came from the room. Bowman did the same thing and had the same result.

"Shall we come back later?" Bowman asked.

"This is one of those times when it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission." Tolan said before opening the door and walking into the room.

"What do you think you're doing?" A woman's voice asked indignantly.

"Paying a visit on important matters, forgive my lack of niceties but you should answer your door more often." Tolan said.

"You get out of here now!" The woman demanded.

"After you give me some assistance," Tolan looked at her uniform, "Major."

The woman looked and realized she was dealing with a superior officer. "Of course Commander, how may I help you?" Her voice became more conciliatory.

Bowman walked in from his location in the doorway. He had to admit he was enjoying watching the standoff between Tolan and the Major.

"Thank you. I am Commander Scott Tolan and this is Major Artimus Bowman. Commander Adama told me you were onboard."

The woman saluted him, "Major Camille Starling. We were sent here after the reports of the grenade accident on the hangar deck."

"Now we're getting somewhere. Any leads you have we would appreciate hearing them." Bowman said.

"With all due respect to yourself and Commander Tolan, we have no leads at this time. We are still getting ourselves organized here, as soon as I know something you will be among the first I go to."

Tolan noticed Major Starling's body language, the woman seemed to be slightly nervous. Her glances at the desk behind her seemed to only fuel his gut feeling that the woman was keeping some information from him.

Bowman was going to say something, but Tolan held a hand up. "Thank you Major Starling, your assistance is greatly appreciated."

The two officers left the room, with Bowman closing the door behind them.

"She's lying." Tolan said as the walked down the corridor.

"How can you tell?" Bowman asked.

"On the desk behind her is a report titled 'Grenade Incident: Battlestar _Valkyrie_' and sticking out underneath the report was a list titled 'Potential Suspects'."

"That's all fine and good, but what are you going to do about it?"

"I think Agents Barron and Malka need some practice to keep their secret agent skills sharp." Tolan said.

"Malka doesn't." Bowman grumbled.

"What?"

"Sorry sir, just thinking out loud."

"We'll just wait and see just how much they are stonewalling us. If they are even less forthcoming I will send our two agents to work."


	4. Chapter 4: Signals and Codes

Chapter Four: Signals and Codes

It had been three days now since the arrival on the _Valkyrie_. Camille Starling was alone in her makeshift office revising her message that was to be sent to Admiral Corman later on that day. Her orders were simple, keep Tolan busy on the _Valkyrie_ so that Aperlae could get her team together for the shadow mission to the S.L.A. base. She had gathered all of the reports and her investigators had formed leads within the hour of her arrival on _Valkyrie_. It was easy to do, but she made sure she kept Tolan out of the loop and dragged her feet whenever he would request a meeting or status report of any kind. She rubbed her brown eyes, which were probably more than a little glazed from lack of sleep. She had figured her brown hair probably needed some touching up, but she had been working around the clock to get the facts straight.

There was a knock on the door, breaking her train of thought. "Who's there?"

"Petty Officer Hannon from the Mess. You sent for some coffee and lunch?"

"Yes I did, come in."

In walked a young woman with a tray of food with a large mug of coffee sitting on it. Starling thought there was something familiar about the woman, as though she had seen her face before. She had on black rimmed eyeglasses and her brown hair was pulled back into her ponytail.

"Thank you, you're dismissed," Starling said.

The young woman nodded and left the room.

Starling took a sip of the coffee and began writing more notes. The more sips of coffee she took the more she began to feel tired. Her eyes began to become heavier and her mind began to drift. Finally she simply gave in and laid her head down on the desk. In no time at all she was fast asleep.

The door opened and Galit Malka entered the room; she had slipped a sleeping drug into the coffee and knew it would not take long for it to take effect. She had to disguise herself as a member of the _Valkyrie's _crew to make it happen, but it paid off handsomely. She quickly found the files on the grenade incident and left the room with them. She could easily photocopy them and have them returned before the Major woke up.

Half an hour later Malka, Barron, Bowman, and Tolan were sitting at the large table in the Officer's Wardroom poring over the reports Malka had 'borrowed' from Major Starling.

"She's eliminated almost everyone off this list; the woman moved fast," Barron exclaimed.

"Yeah, it would have been nice if she had let us know about it," Bowman said angrily.

"At least I was right about her; sometimes a gut feeling can be right on the money."

"Commander, I've looked over these reports and I think Major Starling was going to move on this man here," Malka said as she pulled a photo out of a folder and put it on the table. "Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Marcos Aldo, from the city of Iambe on Sagittaron. It seems he was caught on a surveillance camera entering the Marine Armory but leaving shortly thereafter. According to the notes the camera was turned off for maintenance but had been reactivated ahead of schedule.

"In that case, let's go pay Aldo a visit," Tolan said.

* * *

For this particular interrogation, the security cameras were turned off. The only person in the observation area of the interrogation room was Keene Barron. In the room with the suspect were Commander Tolan, Major Bowman, and Galit Malka.

Tolan took a seat across the table from the man while Bowman and Malka stood in a corner near the door. Malka's face was impassive while Bowman seemed ready to pounce.

Tolan's demeanor was nothing like Bowman's. Facing the man who had nearly killed him not that long ago, Tolan seemed to be in control of his emotions and nowhere near ready to kill the man.

"Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Marcos Aldo… you are in so much trouble right now. Attempted murder, sabotage, treason; and just so you know treason is probably more serious than the rest."

Aldo simply stared ahead, not even acknowledging the charges he would be facing.

"Alright, let me give you some advice. There is no way you could have sabotaged Major Bowman's Raptor and the _Sica_. I am certain you have at least one accomplice but if you have more I want all of their names. Do this for me, and I will do all I can to make sure you are shown some leniency."

There was a pause before Aldo said, "No."

"That's twice now you have tried to kill both Major Bowman and myself. The sabotage you did on the Raptor was great; but with the grenade showed that you might be a good engineer but you're certainly no soldier."

"Let me guess, you're going to sick the CAG on me. Look at him," Aldo made a hand gesture towards Bowman, "It's like the two of you are trying to play good cop/bad cop."

"I'll show you what a 'bad cop' is!" Bowman snarled as he came closer to the table. Malka put her hand on his shoulder and it seemed to snap him out of it.

"Beauty and The Beast at its finest; this has been a great comedy show the three of you have put on," Aldo said.

"You're scared of him," Tolan said.

"What?" Aldo asked with a degree of incredulity.

"You're scared of the Major. You see him glaring at you and you know that he could hurt you if he wanted to."

"Leave him alone in here with me; and I'll prove you wrong," Aldo said defiantly.

Tolan simply got up and walked over to the corner where Bowman and Malka stood.

"Maybe we can convince him to change his mind about providing his accomplices?" Bowman offered.

"I can convince him to do more than that," Malka said.

"How long?" Tolan asked.

Malka sized Aldo up with her eyes, "Not long."

"You're not going to kill him?" Bowman asked.

Malka simply smirked before saying, "I can break him." She had already realized she may have to hold back on some of her more intense interrogation techniques.

"Bowman, are you thirsty?" Tolan asked loudly enough for Aldo to hear him.

"Not particularly," Bowman said, his glare not leaving the man who nearly killed him and Tolan.

Malka moved out of the corner and sat down in the chair Tolan had occupied.

"Come on, I'll get you a cup of coffee," Tolan said as he opened the door and gestured for Bowman to follow.

"Really, you're going to leave me with her? You know, Commander, you're not trying hard at all."

The two officers looked back to see Galit Malka smiling sweetly at the man across the table from her.

There was a small conference room down the corridor from the interrogation room. Tolan went to the coffee maker and fixed two fresh cups of coffee.

"Commander, what exactly is Galit doing in there?"

Tolan walked over to the table and placed the cup of coffee in front of Bowman.

"I don't want to know, do I?" Bowman asked.

Tolan then sat across the table with his cup of coffee and shook his head.

"Okay." Bowman tried not to think of what Marcos Aldo was going through; but he could not quite muster much sympathy for the man.

"So Major, what do you think of Malka?" Tolan tried to pick a subject that would engage Bowman in conversation.

"It may just be me, but sheis way too nice a woman for all the ways she knows how to kill people."

"I take it she's told you all the ways she knows?"

"Well sir, let's just say that I wouldn't say anything bad about Galit and expect to survive the reprisal."

"That's the second time I've heard you call her 'Galit'. You're on a first name basis with her now?"

""I'm not saying anything about that, Commander. I'm not stupid." Bowman realized that Tolan had baited him and he'd taken it. It dawned on him that perhaps the commander had suspected he might be getting close with the MOI agent and wanted confirmation. 'Well played sir,' Bowman thought to himself.

A heavy silence fell between the two men, as though the coldness that had existed seemed to grow.

Finally Tolan decided to take matters into his own hands and try to reach out to Bowman. "I had to kick a pilot out of my air group when I was CAG on the _Mercury_," Tolan said, breaking the silence that had fallen between the two men.

"I'm sorry sir, what are you talking about?"

"He was an ensign newly graduated from the Academy. Ensign Rayford Lucas, his call sign was 'Turbo'. He was arrogant, hot-shot aviator; he became trouble immediately. He had little use for teamwork; he began to alienate and in some cases even endanger the other pilots."

"What did you do about him?"

"I tried to sit him down and talk some sense into him. The thing was that he was a damn good pilot and I saw potential in him; he just wouldn't listen to me."

"What finally happened?"

"We were called in to handle a pirate threat. A group of armed mercenaries known as the Erabea were attacking a convoy bound for the colony Idia in the Tesma Sector. The _Mercury_ was the closest battlestar; and it was decided we could handle the attackers with ease. We jumped in and engaged the enemy, every viper was launched. Lucas went off and abandoned his wingman in order to launch his missiles at an enemy ship. The problem was that his wingman didn't know about it. She was distracted trying to find Lucas' location when her viper was hit by flak. Needless to say she didn't make it."

"I can understand if you wanted to fire him out of an airlock."

"When the after-action reports were done I called him into my office. I told him there was a raptor leaving for Picon in an hour and he had better be on it. Until then I had confined him to quarters to get his belongings together."

"I imagine he didn't take it well."

Tolan shook his head, "Not at all. He got real emotional, begged me to give him another chance. I told him it was out of my hands; none of the pilots would fly with him and they had to fly."

"You did the right thing though."

"It was the right thing; but if I had taken action sooner then it might have been one less pilot lost in that battle."

"What was the pilot's name?"

"Ensign Hélène Monteil; her call sign was 'Poet'. She was engaged to be married in two months. I wrote a letter of sympathy to both her parents back on Caprica and her fiancée on Leonis. The guilt I felt was terrible; it about tore me apart. One day I woke up, looked over the whole thing and promised that I would be better at my job. I'd become a better leader and not dishonor Ensign Monteil's memory."

"Why are you telling me this?" Bowman asked, though he knew the answer. In a moment of honesty, Tolan had extended an olive branch to try to build some semblance of trust. If there was thing they would need to complete this mission it would be trust. Bowman had read the files on Tolan and knew of the tragedies that had been dealt the Commander. It was at this point that Major Artimus Bowman decided that he could trust Commander Scott Tolan.

"Because I've been where you're at. Also, you're my second-in-command on this mission. There has to be a certain trust between us; and we have to be able to work together."

"What about Malka and Barron?"

"They're in charge of the rescue, along with our guest we'll need to pick up; and I am in charge of the military forces."

"Who is this guest we're taking along?"

"Do you remember when the Golden Apple of Aphrodite was stolen from the Delphi Museum?"

Bowman nodded, "Yeah that was quite a scandal there… Wait a minute; are you telling me what I think you're telling me?"

"We are taking Marcellus Britt along with us for this adventure."

"I remember Marcellus; that was the highest-profile case I had been a part of. I think this one is probably going to rank higher."

Malka stood in the doorway with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Glad to see you're done; how's our man Aldo doing?" Tolan asked.

"He's afraid for his life now. I didn't have to hurt him; but I left a very strong hint as to what would happen to him if he didn't cooperate."

"That's great; let's get his accomplices!" Bowman said.

"That will not be necessary," a voice announced behind them.

The three turned to see Camille Starling standing in the doorway flanked by two marines.

"Is there a reason you're here?" Tolan asked.

"Commander Tolan, you are the subject of an official Internal Affairs investigation."

"You assume I give a damn; that's cute."

"I wanted to arrest you and place you in the brig; however it seems Commander Adama had other ideas. Until the investigation into your actions can be completed you are to be confined to quarters."

Bowman stood up to say something; but Tolan held a hand up, "I will proceed to my quarters right now. Major Bowman, you are in charge of the squad until further notice. If there is anything you need me for visit my quarters _right away_."

Bowman noticed that Tolan had put an emphasis on visiting his quarters but was not about to say something.

Tolan lay on his bed, his arms folded behind his head. He figured if there was one advantage to being under what was essentially 'house arrest' it was that he got a chance to rest. He had to get a plan formulated though; the events with Starling only served to reinforce his belief that Corman and Adar had another plan for the rescue.

The hatch swung open and Major Bowman walked in, "Commander Tolan, there is an issue that needs your attention."

Tolan got off of the bed and stretched, "Have a seat at the table; we'll hash out whatever this problem is."

Bowman took a seat; and Tolan walked over and took a small radio out of the duffle he had brought onboard. Setting it on the table he turned it on and a fast-paced jazz song began to play.

"What's with the music?" Bowman asked.

"In case they have this place bugged it will make it hard for them to hear what we're talking about."

"I'm impressed; now what is it I can do for you?"

"I'm grounded for the time being; but I need you to take over for me and get the team ready to depart."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Take a Raptor and get Marcellus Britt out of prison. While you are away from the _Valkyrie_, get in touch with the Basileus and find out the status of the weapons shipment."

"I can do half of that; I just don't want the ummm…"

"You don't want to be tarred with the reputation of the Basileus. Right now they are our ticket into the S.L.A. base; it's as simple as that."

"They're a band of criminals, sir!" Bowman exclaimed, then immediately felt his face flush with embarrassment. If anyone would know that fact it would be the man sitting across the table from him.

"As if I already wasn't aware of that, Bowman; I will give you the contact information for my Aunt Lydia. When she knows you're on my behalf then that will facilitate things."

"I have to ask, are you aware of the rules you are asking me to break?"

"Rules are not necessarily sacred; principles are. If you want to sit there in judgment of me then so be it; but all I ask is that you not judge me by my background."

"Commander Tolan, I believe there is nothing you love more than a good fight."

"That may be true; but that doesn't change the fact that you're in charge now. I need you to do this; I believe you're the one for the job."

"What makes you believe that?"

"I may not be the smartest man in the Colonies; but I do surround myself with smart colleagues."

Bowman nodded his head, "Very well, Commander; I need to have a word with Gaeta first. He can monitor the Internal Affairs communications traffic for something we can use. I'll take Malka with me to Virgon."

Tolan stood up and offered his hand, "Good luck, Major Bowman."

"Thank you, Commander Tolan."

Bowman felt like a worlds-class pyramid player as he dashed around the _Valkyrie _making preparations with Gaeta, Adama, and finally the two MOI agents. Malka was to come with him on the Raptor while Barron was going to try to get another meeting with Aldo to see what further information could be gleaned from him.

With everything in place it was time to get ready to depart. Bowman walked steadily to Malka's quarters. He had noticed his own hesitance in his steps as he closed on the room opposite his own private quarters, a benefit of being the CAG aboard a _Valkyrie_-class. His slower pace echoed the confusion that seemed to have clouded his mind whenever he was around her. He wasn't sure what it was; physical attraction, apprehension or perhaps even fear? He didn't know how to take her especially after her interrogation of Aldo. His mind had conjured up a whole series of scenarios that _could_ have happened but of course he could never be sure without asking.

He stood outside her room and braced himself before knocking three times, each one slow and firm.

"Come in, 'Ace'!" bellowed the voice from inside.

He opened the door and stepped inside to be greeted by Galit Malka standing in front of him still buttoning up her civilian blouse. Bowman had caught a glimpse of a white bra underneath; and almost like an embarrassed schoolboy he recoiled, pulling his eyes away and searching for something interesting on the adjacent wall. This was all much to Malka's amusement; and Bowman sensed that it was a deliberate 'accident'.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked struggling to beak the silence.

"You have a very distinctive knock," smirked Malka. "Or maybe I have set up hidden cameras all across the ship and have been monitoring you."

Bowman glanced to the side now that she was fully dressed in a white civilian blouse and denim trousers. "Have you?" he asked not sure if she was being serious or not.

She grinned from ear to ear before answering, "You are too easy, 'Ace'." This left Bowman feeling quite foolish but at the same time quite amused.

Bowman waited a few minutes in her quarters after she had insisted on gathering a few small items to take along for the ride. Among them was her Ministry of Intelligence coded ID badge and a small handgun that he had no doubt she was an expert at using.

"That's everything," Malka announced.

"Great, let's get going!" Bowman turned to leave the room and started stepping out of the doorway when he suddenly heard Malka call out his first name – something she had never done before and it was odd experience. He turned and to his surprise he saw her kneeling in front of her bed. He silently walked forward and heard what she was saying.

"Artemis, grant that my hands be steady, my aim be true, and my feet swift. Should the worst come to pass, grant me forgiveness."

"What was that?" asked Bowman gently as she rose to her feet.

"A prayer I say before any mission; in this case I thought it would be appropriate," explained Malka who was now walking past Bowman leaving him standing there in the doorway somewhat surprised at this religious aspect of Malka's personality. She was indeed full of surprises. Recalling the words of the prayer and the combat that they implied Bowman silently hoped that divine intervention would not be necessary on this flight. He had already crashed one Raptor this week!

BATTLESTAR _VALKYRIE_  
STARBOARD HANGAR DECK

"I've been thinking, we should go see the Basileus first," Bowman explained as they walked out onto the Hangar Deck. "It would be good to get an idea of what they've learned so far before we pick up Britt."

"I'll leave it up to you, 'Ace'," declared Malka. "I'm just here for the ride."

"Somehow I doubt that," said Bowman almost accidentally.

"What does that mean?" she asked stopping in the middle of the Hangar Deck almost oblivious to the Viper being towed several yards behind them. Bowman pulled her aside and stood her next to another Viper stored on the port side of the deck.

"I always get the feeling that you know more than you're letting on," said Bowman.

Malka's eyes looked down momentarily as her trademark cheeky smile curled the ends of her lips before she looked back up at him and said, "If I didn't then I wouldn't be much of an intelligence officer would I?"

Bowman almost didn't want the answer. A part of him wished she had lied because her answer implied that there was more going on than he had first thought. "I despise secrets!"

"I've noticed," she said. "Now I wonder why?"

"Don't 'Psych'!" he warned her. "Not today."

"Well, we will have plenty of time to talk about on the flight to Virgon," she said firmly and with that she began to walk towards their designated Raptor.

"Where are you going?" yelled out Bowman. Malka turned and saw Bowman still standing next to the Viper.

"Our Raptor is this way isn't it?" she asked. "Raptor Seven-Seven?"

"Yes; but we are taking Six-Three-One," said Bowman who was now grinning at the fact that he knew something she didn't. "Do you think after what happened with Tolan the last time I'm really going to take out the designated Raptor again?"

Malka gave an acknowledging nod implying she was impressed with his cunning. Bowman walked over to their actual Raptor and she followed him. As he opened the hatch to allow her entry he uttered, "Don't you just hate being out of the loop?"

She stopped and the two of them stood in the entrance to the small vessel. They had attracted some attention from several deckhands who were carefully watching them through the corners of their eyes.

She leaned up and whispered in his ear, "You really hate surprises don't you?" Bowman didn't answer. He didn't have time. She put her hand on his face and quickly kissed him on the lips before retreating inside the main cabin leaving him stunned and dazed as several of the deckhands laughed or jeered. Some of the more brave members whistled; and Bowman shot them a glare that threatened to space the lot of them. They quickly fell silent and Bowman followed her into the Raptor.

As he prepared the Raptor for take off he realized he had learned a valuable lesson here; she doesn't let anyone have one up on her for very long.

The street outside the restaurant sat in a mild summer Canceron sun. Shadows were slowly growing in length as the sun passed through midday and was beginning to make its way towards mid afternoon. Hundreds of cars pass through the street everyday often failing to notice the rather discrete establishment on the western side of the road; so nobody took any notice as a rather anonymous looking red Scorpia Sierra sedan pulled up onto the opposite side of the street.

Artimus Bowman turned the key; and the low grumble of the engine died away into silence. Galit Malka sat in the passenger seat and casually glanced around at the street in a manner that resembled someone looking for their favourite store. Her movements were subtle and confident. She didn't look at all out of place as she assessed the street for any potential threats. Bowman couldn't help but be impressed as he saw her coming into her element. She was no longer the unpredictable and playful woman who had embarrassed him on the _Valkyrie's_ hangar deck only three hours earlier. She was now an MOI agent; and Bowman wasn't sure which he preferred.

"So do we just go up and knock?" asked Bowman.

"No," said Galit. "Zeresi isn't there."

"What?" asked Bowman who suddenly began to wonder why they had driven here.

"It's only 1320hrs," explained Galit. "Lydia Zeresi is right now at the pool hall on Samry Street meeting up with one of her collectors as she does every other day. Then at 1400, when the lunchtime rush is over, she returns here for a late lunch. She sits in public view but at the back of the restaurant. Always alone but her boys are never far away so we can't just walk up to her. We need to play it subtle. I'd hate to have to kill everyone in the restaurant. Blood stains are a nightmare." Galit turned to look at Artimus. It had taken him a few moments to realize she was joking and she wanted to catch the look of horror on his face before it dissipated into a fool's mask.

"Very funny!" he grumbled. "I got to be honest...I thought Lydia Zeresi would be smarter than that. I mean having her movements be so predictable; she's just asking for someone to take out a hit on her."

"You really don't get this do you?" laughed Galit. "This turf belongs to the Basileus. No one is stupid enough to make a move on them in their own neighborhood. They would all be dead by the time they got to that stop sign over there. Besides there is a very important reason she needs to be that predictable. It's so the Police and the Colonial Federal Law Agency know exactly where she is at any given time so when they suspect her involvement in something she has an alibi. Zeresi never gets her hands dirty."

Galit's words remained strong and consistent and so Artimus failed to notice that she seemed quite interested in a black Vergis Cruiser, a much larger and infinitely more luxurious sedan than their rented Sierra that had parked several spaces behind them. It had caught her eye because she had seen it at least three times during the drive from Fort Nellis where the Raptor had landed. She could just make out two occupants inside the vehicle and neither of them seemed in a hurry to leave their car. Galit pulled her eyes away from the mirror and saw a shop on the corner by the junction ahead of them. It was a good thirty to thirty five yards away and it gave her an idea.

"I want some ice cream!" she suddenly announced in a way that was more of a selfish child demanding the latest toy from her parent. Bowman looked at her in both a confused and annoyed fashion. "Some ice cream," she pressed on. "Over there. Why don't you go get us some? My treat?" She reached into her pocket and took out five Cubits from her purse. Bowman could tell by the rather amused look on her face, specifically the sly smile across her lips, that she was doing this to annoy him and so he just took the money and stepped out of the car.

The two occupants of the Tauron-built car sat and watched as Bowman walked away towards the shop. Galit had been careful to chose this particular shop because it was far enough away from any potential action to keep 'Ace' out of the firing line but close enough so that it didn't force whomever was following them to split up to keep an eye on the two of them. A large delivery truck slowly rumbled its way through the narrow street kicking up dirt and smoke as it went past.

The two occupants were only momentarily distracted by the truck; but it was all Galit needed. She had opened the door just slightly as if to throw some garbage out before slithering through the gap before finally closing the door and rushing to the opposite side of the car and out of sight. As she quickly made her way to the black Cruiser keeping low behind the car she couldn't help but be grateful to the Gods for her prowess in gymnastics.

The driver of the Cruiser had suddenly spied that the passenger in the Sierra was gone; but before it could properly register Galit was standing by his door and leaning into the window.

"Excuse me," she chuckled. "But aren't you two the couple from that reality TV show? You know, the one where they put you on a desert island and see who dies of stupidity first?"

Startled and infuriated the driver quickly started the engine and with his colleague hurtling misplaced insults at him and Galit the car drove off at high speed narrowly missing Bowman as he crossed the street with two ice cream cones. He only had to look at Galit and realize that he had been deliberately left in the dark.

"What the frak?" asked Bowman as Galit walked up to him and took her ice cream.

"Mmmm, cherry," she cooed as she licked the red sauce from off the top. "How did you know it was my favorite?" She took another lick before quietly saying, "Corman knows we are here."

"Corman!" gasped Bowman. "How do you know they weren't Basileus?"

"Let's just call it women's intuition. Come on, let's get back in the car before we draw too much attention!"

CAPRICA

Bridget Woods felt enormously out of place at Emily's. The aura of her affair with Scott Tolan, although it happened many years ago, still lingered over her and Bridget. There was a genuine feeling of hostile energy between the two of them; and so Bridget had decided that the best way to go about this visit was with a softly-softly approach. She spent short amounts of time with Emily and allowed her to dominate the direction of the conversations. When she felt the emotions rising she would come up with some excuse to leave but in such a way as to not arouse suspicion. As the day wore on Bridget had become mentally fatigued from maintaining this effort and this was not lost on Andre Graystone who had recommended that she take a walk around the surrounding Caprican countryside. It did not take much persuasion. Just walking out through the gate seemed to pull an enormous weight from her shoulders and she felt reinvigourated like she had been washed clean of her sin.

Caprica's countryside is as beautiful and spectacular as its cities are magnificent. Having changed into a more relaxing pair of grey sports trousers and pale blue t-shirt she began a slow and steady walk down the road adjacent to Emily's home. Except for the tarmac road the land surrounding this particular Graystone residence remained untouched by man. Only the top of several skyscrapers in the distance showed any sign of human civilization. For Bridget it was bliss.

The built up frustration that had been accumulating since her arrival had now provided her with an excess of energy in her legs; and she made little work of the rising and dipping road. Each step she took made her feel that much better. She had no resentment for Emily whatsoever; but the fact of the matter was that with Emily's miscarriage and Scott being away on a hazardous mission Emily was looking for someone to attack and her past with Scott provided the perfect target.

She was about a mile and a half away from Emily's house when she heard the low rumble of a motorbike approaching from behind her. She looked over her shoulder momentarily and saw a blue sports bike coming up the road. The rider wore a black one piece suit and matching helmet and seemed oblivious to Bridget who was walking beside the road.

Bridget didn't seem at all bothered by the motorbike which was a safe distance in the middle of the road and so she turned back to face forward. Her mind now turned towards Scott. As his XO and his friend she hated the fact that she was not by his side on this mission he was undertaking. She was naturally concerned about his well being and her natural instincts were in a protective mode. If only she could just talk to -

There was a sudden thumping sound on the back of her head. She felt herself fall forward uncontrollably and she rolled twice along the road. She was still conscious and her senses told her the impact wasn't that severe but enough to knock her down. Lying on the tarmac beside the road her eyes searched for an explanation but all she could see was the motorbike speeding away and strangely, bits of a broken branch from a tree surrounding her. Stunned, she could do little except lay there while she fought to get back her breath.

The rider continued on up the road and disappeared from Bridget's view as he went down the other side of the hill. The rider suddenly applied the brakes and the bike dipped forward they tried to stop the momentum of the bike. Finally coming to a stop at the side of the road the rider put his feet down beside the bike and quickly reached into his pocket to search for his phone. Removing his helmet to reveal the well groomed face of a man in his mid twenties he dialed in a number before holding the phone to the side of his head.

"Yea... It's done. You better go now before someone else comes along and sees her... Yes, she's fine. I used a rotten branch like you said to. I hope this works, brother."

The man ended the call rather abruptly before putting the phone back into his suit. As he was about to put his helmet back on he saw a blue classic sports car approaching him. He recognised it immediately and as the driver went passed the two of them shared a rather arrogant smile as their plan unfolded. Watching the car go off into the distance he uttered to himself, "Hope she is worth it, Bryce."

* * *

CANCERON

Artimus Bowman and Galit Malka stayed seated in their rented Sierra while they waited for Lydia Zeresi to arrive. The conversation had been surprisingly limited between them as they waited. Galit's thoughts were circling her mind as she searched for answers. _How did Corman know they were coming to Canceron? _They had been so careful before leaving the Valkyrie. It was an unsettling prospect for such a perfectionist as her to know that either she had screwed up or someone aboard the Valkyrie was feeding Corman information. She had to admit that she did consider that maybe Bowman was in on it somehow but that didn't make sense. As he constantly reminded her by both words and actions he had no stomach for this 'cloak-and-dagger crap' and seemed infuriated that he was being spied on by his own superior officers._ No, it's not him_.

"Hello?" murmured Artimus as a finely polished silver car pulled up outside the restaurant. The driver got out as two rather large looking men emerged from inside the restaurant and stood either side of the vehicle. Galit smiled as she recognised them from a previous encounter with these two men in an alleyway. _They seemed to have healed up ok_.

The driver stood beside the rear door and opened it to allow the passenger to step out. Lydia Zaresi got out of the car and walked past her bodyguards with only a nod of appreciation to the two men who followed her inside. A few seconds later the driver got back in the car and drove away.

"Now?" asked Bowman.

"Not just yet," said Galit. "Let her get settled first. It'll be harder for her to dismiss us if she has already started eating."

Bowman agreed and the two of them waited a little longer. Bowman became particularly agitated. This was an alien world to him that he didn't fully understand. He could take a Raptor and was confident enough to take on everything from surface to air missiles down to kids with slingshots but the thought of walking into a criminal den frightened the hell out of him and Galit picked up on this. "Ok then. Listen, when we go in just let me do the talking. You just stand there and look mean - should be easy enough for you, 'Ace'. Now remember she is queen of her castle and we are guests so treat her as such. She may say things that anger or upset you; don't bite! She lives in a world built on a foundation of fear and so she knows how to use it. Don't show fear and you can keep one step ahead of her. She will respect you for that. Ok?"

"Sure," said Bowman as confidently as he could.

"Alright," said Galit as she opened the door. "Let's go."

The two of them stepped out of the car and began to walk towards the restaurant. Half way across the road Galit reached underneath his left arm and hooked herself around it making them look as though they were a couple going out for dinner. Galit knew that this gesture made him more uncomfortable than going into the restaurant but it was easier for him to handle. Just before they walked through the front entrance Galit allowed her mind to wonder why he felt almost like he was cheating on someone when she knew he was single. His eyes seemed to betray an embarrassed sense of guilt and she was indeed curious to know why but that was a conversation for another time.

"Good afternoon," greeted the maitre d', a rather attractive dark haired young woman. "Table for two?"

"No thank you," said Galit politely. "We'd like to see Mrs Zeresi please."

"I'm-m sorry?" asked the maitre d' who was obviously trying too hard to throw them off and failed miserably.

"Just tell her that we are friends of Scott Tolan and we are here to discuss some of the arrangements," instructed Galit firmly but maintaining a smile that was intended to fool anyone looking into thinking they were discussing something as mundane as the menu. The smile faded from the young woman who knew it was pointless to keep up the pretence. The young woman walked away from them towards a dimly lit corner of the room where Lydia Zeresi was sitting alone. On the table beside hers were the two rather large bodyguards who were busily eating a chicken dinner. The young woman leaned down and whispered something to Zeresi who then looked over towards them. Lydia then whispered something back to the young woman who immediately came over to relay the message.

"Mrs. Zeresi will see you," she said before indicating the corner of the room.

"Thank you," said Bowman rather naively. Breaking her hold on Bowman's arm Galit led the way as they discretely walked over to her.

Lydia Zeresi sat back in her chair with a rather amused look on her face. She held a glass of red wine beside her chin as she examined the two people who now stood before her and had interrupted her routine for that day. _They've got the stones of a Tauron to just brazenly walk in here demanding to see me._

"Mrs Zeresi," said Galit rather formally. "Thank you for agreeing to see us."

"You're welcome," said Lydia. "And who would be 'us' exactly."

"We represent your nephew, Scott Tolan," replied Galit.

"I see. And why couldn't Scott see me personally? Hmm? I would think that with all the effort I am going to on his behalf, especially given the fact that he has relinquished his ties to the family business, that I would at least earn a personal visit. I don't like dealing with errand boys or girls."

Being referred to as one of Tolan's errand boys did not sit well with Bowman; but he remembered Galit's advice and he kept his tongue still.

"Commander Tolan regrets that he is unable to attend personally," continued Galit. "He is currently engaged in fleet business that he cannot get out of."

"Then there is nothing more to say," said Lydia firmly hinting that she had no interest in continuing this conversation. Lydia's tone attracted the attention of the two men on the opposite table who stood poised to interfere. Artimus braced himself ready to demonstrate his amateur boxing prowess but Galit quickly interfered.

"With respect," she said. "Commander Tolan has authorized us to speak on his behalf. He wishes to convey his gratitude to you and your associates in this enterprise."

"Scott said he was grateful to the Basileus?" said Lydia clearly flabbergasted.

"Not the Basileus," explained Galit. "He wishes to convey his gratitude to you. _You_ are the Basileus."

A sudden silence descended over the table. Lydia Zeresi had been in the game long enough to know a player when she saw one and she knew that Galit was playing her. The two of them shared a long stare and saw aspects of them reflected in each other's eyes. Bowman wondered how much of what she had claimed Tolan had said was true and he was sure that Lydia wasn't entirely convinced either; but Galit had nevertheless achieved her goal. Lydia stood up and leaned forward.

"Very well," she said. "You may convey the following message to Commander Tolan; the package is on its way; and I haven't forgotten the terms of our arrangement."

Galit smiled and politely nodded. "Thank you for your time, Mrs Zeresi. Good day to you."

Lydia didn't say anything in response. As Bowman and Galit turned to leave she nodded rather playfully to the two enraged bodyguards, "Gentlemen."

Walking back across the road Bowman was unsure what to make of the encounter. As they climbed back into their rental Sierra he turned and asked, "Did that go well?"

"Well enough," said Galit as she took out her phone from inside her jacket. "I've got to make a quick call." Galit tapped a number onto the phone so quickly that Bowman had no chance of reciting it. "Assistant Director Schwtizer's office please. Tell him it's Lieutenant Malka!"

Bowman listened to one side of a rather short telephone call before Galit hung up the phone. "We may have a slight problem. Britt's Governor is still refusing to turn him over without a warrant from the Libran Federal Courts. He seems he doesn't want to have a bureaucratic rope around his neck just waiting for someone to pull if this all goes awry and Britt is killed. It's the evening there now and so the Governor has retired for the night. He won't be back until tomorrow."

"Ok, so where does that leave us?" asked Bowman.

"We still go to Virgon. We will sort ourselves out a hotel room for the night and then go see the Governor in the morning. Tolan is paying so feel free to raid the mini bar if you like." Galit erupted into a burst of laughter as Bowman started the engine and began to drive back to their Raptor at Fort Nellis.

* * *

CAPRICA

Still dazed from the impact, Bridget Woods tried to get to her feet; but the startled adrenalin in her body made her tremble and fall uncontrollably. She suddenly heard the sound of a car stopping beside her and looked around to see the polished aluminum front bumper staring back at her. The driver's side door swung open and a man stepped out.

"Are you ok?" he called out. He rushed to her side and helped her to sit upright. "It's ok, I'm a doctor. In fact I think we met earlier today at Emily Tolan's."

"What?" said Bridget groggily.

"What happened? Did you fall?"

"I-I'm not sure. I was walking along and...there was a bike. I felt something hit me."

Dr Bryce Sabbeus began to examine Bridget. The acting Commander of the Battlestar _Vanguard_ had no reason not to allow him to examine her and when he told her she was just a little dazed she agreed to allow him to drive her back to Emily's house. She had no idea that she was being used as a tool in a ruthless plan.

VIRGON

Artimus Bowman slumped onto the end of the hotel room bed. The room was a relatively spartan place with rather hideous beige walls and brown blankets placed on a bed that resembled something that was retained from the first Colonials arriving from Kobol. That being said, it was still a welcome relief for Bowman who had spent the day either in a car, in front of a mob boss or flying a Raptor from one end of the Twelve Colonies to the other. As he sat there in his loose fitting civilian clothes he looked back on the past few days since his first meeting with Commander Scott Tolan and sighed heavily. He could not remember a more hectic time in his life. He felt as though the events surrounding him had consumed him and he was caught up in them like a leaf floating on a powerful river that he had no control over. It was an unsettling feeling for a pilot.

The truth was, however, Artimus Bowman was in part thankful for the distraction the past few days had offered him. The dramatic change to his life brought about by this mission helped him focus his thoughts away from Brooke Garner who had otherwise dominated most of his being. Brooke was an open wound left unattended to rot and become infected; and no matter how hard he tried to move on from her she was always there. She was something special; the one. He knew he had to let her go but that didn't make it any easier for him. Now, as he sat in the hotel room with no outside stimulus except for the apparently tasteless wallpaper he found his thoughts casting back to her and he felt the wound opening up again.

Perhaps it was this hole in his heart that was causing him to be so bitter and resentful to Tolan? Bowman had to admit that there were aspects of the man he admired. He was headstrong and confident in himself, a trait of a typical Viper jock; but he was also methodical and a great strategist. By the same token these were things to despise. Tolan hadn't hesitated to manipulate him into getting what he wanted from this mission. They were both the same age and yet Tolan was two steps higher in rank despite Bowman's almost perfect record. This told Artimus Bowman that Tolan was connected and he used those connections like a puppet master making the dolls around him dance for his own bidding. As he fell back onto the firm mattress of the bed he concluded that as far as he was concerned the jury was still out on Scott Tolan.

There were suddenly three quite hefty knocks on the door; and Bowman snapped out of his train of thought. He sat up and braced himself knowing full well who was at the door. He clambered to his feet and seemed to drag his tired body the short distance in order to open it. Sure enough, his fears proved correct as Galit Malka stood in the doorway with a rather large bottle of liquor and two glass tumblers.

"Evening, Lieutenant," said Bowman.

"Evening, Major," replied Galit playfully. "I see your room is as dreary as my one." Galit didn't wait to be invited in. She simply walked past Bowman leaving the Raptor pilot almost frozen in his place. Finally accepting that Galit was here to stay he closed the door and turned to see her placing the two tumblers down on the bedside table before popping open the large bottle.

"You know what they say, Major," she said as she began to pour the drink into each glass. "When on Virgon…" She picked the two glasses up and carried them over to him before offering him one. Bowman felt compelled to take it. "Cheers!" She tapped her glass against his and they both took a drink. During the whole act of sipping the strong Virgon brandy Galit never took her eyes off Bowman. "How is it?"

"It's uh, good!" said Bowman as the liquor burned his throat.

"Compliments of Commander Tolan," she said as she sat on the edge of his bed. "Or at least it would be if he knew."

Bowman sat down beside her before taking another small sip of the drink. It was potent stuff and he felt it loosening his body. This of course had been Galit's plan. Despite the happy-go-lucky repertoire they had developed he was still a reserved individual with rather thick barriers surrounding him. But then again so did Galit; they were simply a different kind of barrier.

"I love coming to Virgon. Good food. Good drink," she said indicating to the glass in her hand. "I always wondered if I had a bit of Virgon in me."

"Have you ever thought about looking for your parents?" asked Bowman.

"Why?" she replied in a tone that was abrupt but not angry at him having asked the question. "They didn't want me; and I think I've made a pretty good life for myself in the MOI regardless."

"Doesn't it bother you? Y'know, not knowing your roots?"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand it," she said as she poured them both a second round of drinks. "I'm sure you've got family all around you. I bet you all get together on Colonial Day and light a barbecue in the back garden of your parent's house in the suburbs. Talk about sports with you father and your mother keeps pestering you to settle down. Make her a grandma."

This idealistic view that she had of his family angered Bowman. He knew that behind the smile and the jokes she harboured some deep rooted resentment for having been denied the opportunity to experience it for herself no matter what she said. He didn't know why but he felt he had to correct her.

"I haven't spoken to my father in over twelve and a half years," he explained before taking another drink to allow it to relax him some more. "Not since I was thirteen. Frakker! You see, he cheated on my mother and made her feel like it was her fault. She was so afraid of being alone that she accepted it. I saw what happened to her as she began to fall deeper into depression because of him. He was emotionally abusive; that's the worst kind because it never leaves any visible marks. One day I couldn't take it anymore so I just left and wound up at my grandparents house in Delphi. That's where I stayed from then on. My grandfather was my father figure. He taught me how to truly earn respect. He taught me how to fight but only when necessary."

"My Gods!" whispered Galit softly. "I had no idea."

"That even if you have a mother and father that life can still be frakked up?"

"No," she said before adding rather comically "That all this wasn't in your file. I'm seriously going to have to have words with the Admin department. This is quite embarrassing!" Galit burst into a fit of laughter helped by the third glass of brandy. Bowman's first response was annoyance but suddenly he felt his defences fall and her laughter became addictive. A smile emerged on his face much to her delight. Having allowed a brief moment to let go Bowman seemed to compose himself once more and return to business.

"So tell me about Britt?" he asked. "All I know is what I heard on the news at the time of his arrest."

Galit didn't answer straight away. Instead she climbed further up the bed and leaned up against the headboard before resting her legs behind him. "Britt was the first big case I ever worked on," she explained pointing and waving the hand with the glass at him. "Back when I was a civilian aid doing psychological profiling for field agents. He was… a menace. He was charming. Brilliant! A little bit out there."

"You seem quite taken with him?" asked Bowman hinting that there was some attraction emanating from her description.

"Maybe from the romance of your first big case?" she said speculatively. "He likes games. Any sort of game really. To him, stealing priceless treasures from maximum security installations was not about money or accolade. He saw it as the greatest game he could ever play. You see, he is on such an ego trip that he needs to prove himself constantly and that is why he is going to help us. Being in prison means he hasn't had much of a chance to do anything except count the days go by. This is more than a bid for freedom for him. This is a challenge."

"Sounds like an asshole to me," said Bowman with shocking bluntness brought on by the drink.

"Oh he is," said Galit smiling. There was a short silence between the two of them as the conversation came to an end. "Let me ask you something, 'Ace'? What do you normally do when there is a woman lying on your bed?"

"Ask her to get off!" he replied rather dryly. The two of them suddenly erupted into laughter once more.

"Oh-my-Gods!" laughed Galit heavily. "Stop the press! Artimus Bowman actually has a sense of humour. Underneath that hardened exterior beats the heart of a comic."

The laughter began to die down and Galit chose this moment to make her move. She put down her glass and leaned forward. Cupping his cheeks, she pulled his face to hers before kissing him passionately. He tried to fight her at first; but he felt himself giving in and he responded to her advance.

She pushed him down flat across the bed and she climbed up on top of him placing her arms and legs on either side of him before continuing to kiss him. The lustful passion suddenly subsided and the kiss became slow and sensual. His arms rose upward and he pushed his hands through her hair.

It was then he stopped.

Galit noticed that his interest had quickly waned and she lifted herself up to look at him. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I-I can't do this," he said looking away from her. "I'm sorry."

Galit lifted herself up and sat beside him once more. The atmosphere had turned very cold. Galit was not used to rejection; but to her own surprise she felt unclean for making the advance like she was helping him commit some heinous crime. The air became poisonous and almost unbearable. Leaving the bottle, Galit quietly stood up and walked out of the room.

Bowman wanted to say something but he didn't have any idea what? For those brief few seconds he had somehow convinced himself he was with Brooke and not Galit. He had been craving Brooke's love for so long that he allowed this to happen but the fantasy would only take him so far. To have carried on with the pretence would have been unfair to both Galit and himself.

"Frak!" he hissed as he threw his hands to his face in shame.

**Author's Note: **

**I would like to give a big 'Thank you!' to The Wilky Bar Kid, author of the 'Battlestar Hermes' series, for helping to write a healthy portion of this chapter while my computer was out of commission.**


	5. Chapter 5: Friends like These

Chapter Five: Friends like These

Lydia Zeresi looked again at the piece of paper that she held in her hand. It was a report that had been sent to her from the transport shuttle _Silenus_, the very ship she had chartered to deliver the weapons her nephew needed to access the SLA base. She read over the report again with a growing sense of disbelief.

The _Silenus_ was intercepted by a scout ship after it had passed Tauron and boarded by a group of Marines led by a junior lieutenant named Aperlae. It seemed a logical conclusion to her that the Colonial Fleet would want to keep track of the ship that would be transporting her nephew and his team to the SLA base in the Erebus Belt, but going by the report it seemed that this "Lt. Aperlae" went beyond what could be described as standard military protocol in such situations. On the contrary this particular officer acted more like a pirate than a Colonial Officer.

The first thing Aperlae ordered was for the _Silenus _to follow her ship to the Shahriar Sector, an area of space outside of Tauron that was rarely traveled, and at gunpoint took the weapons off of the transport and then disabled the engines and communications. The transport was left drifting with only life support running, and no way to move or get help. It would be a couple of days before a passing freighter discovered the_ Silenus _and was able to assist them.

That was one of her warnings that something was amiss. The other was hearing back from the SLA that a second scout ship had arrived with the weapons and being asked why her nephew was not among the crew. That was particularly disturbing, as she had given him instructions to send a specific message to her to let her know that both he and the weapons were delivered. She had received no such message and the two officers who had come to see her in her restaurant the day before had stated that Scott was amongst the fleet. Scott was not foolish enough to behave this way. Nobody in the Colonial Fleet knew how the Basileus operated better than the rightful heir to the throne – Scott Tolan.

"You sent for me ma'am?" a voice behind her asked.

Zeresi kept her back turned to him, her eyes looking out the window of her office at the lights of Amarna. She had moved the base of operations for the Basileus here after she wrested control of the syndicate following her father's death. She had always had a fondness for the city considering it to be lucky – a euphemism highlighting the financial gain there was to be made here for the leader of a criminal organization such as the Basileus.

"Yes, I need you to do something for me. Time is of the essence and I want you to leave right away," she said to Bryon Esmond. The former police officer from the city of Faustinopolis now served as her head of security and had proven to be unfailingly loyal to her over the years.

"As you wish, what can I do for you?"

She turned to face him, "I have sent word to the SLA that they are to expect a second transport shuttle with another weapons shipment. I informed them that there was no room for the complete shipment on just one vessel, and my nephew would be on this particular shuttle. As we speak, it is being loaded and prepped for this trip. When you leave, I want you to head directly to Virgon. My sources tell me that our friends who visited me yesterday are there in Virgon City. When you have them off-planet, rendezvous with the battlestar Valkyrie and get Scott off of there before proceeding to the Erebus Belt and the SLA base."

"How can you be sure that I will be permitted to board the _Valkyrie_?"

"I doubt you will have any trouble in that instance. Scott will be there and he will make sure you are welcomed with open arms."

"If you don't mind me asking, why is it important to get to Virgon right away?"

"I have a source in the Admiralty, particularly on Admiral Corman's staff. Now that Lt. Aperlae has the shipment and is leading a rescue operation of her own, he wants to detain Scott's group until the hostages are rescued," Zeresi stopped and let out a sigh, "Gods knows that if they were going to screw me like this I'd prefer to at least have dinner first and the promise of a phone call the next day."

Esmond was thoughtful for a moment before saying, "I won't fail you Mrs. Zeresi."

Zeresi smiled at him, "You never have Mr. Esmond."

Esmond returned the smile before turning to leave the room.

Bowman woke up in the hotel room on Virgon with a touch of a hangover. Whatever drink Malka had plied him with the night before did a number on his person the next morning. He got up off the bed and tried to get his bearings; his center of balance was more than a bit off. He stumbled to the sink and turned the cold water on; splashing his face several times to make sure he was in fact awake. He thought of the night before with Malka and his insides filled with a twisted sense of dread at the prospect of seeing her this morning. He kicked himself for acting the way he did, he was single after all and yet he felt like he was cheating on Brooke by even being in the same room with the beautiful MoI officer.

Refreshed, his thoughts turned to his next move and he decided a shower was the ideal step. As he stood under the hot water he thought about the recent events and it seemed as though he were in some sort of dream he could not wake up from. He was on a mission that had plenty of danger to it, had just stood up to the leader of the Basileus crime syndicate, and was on a colony with a beautiful yet deadly intelligence officer. If it was not for the fact that it was really happening, Bowman could have easily thought it was a novel or movie being described.

With the shower out of the way he was once again in his duty uniform, and set to take advantage of the generosity of Scott Tolan. He browsed the menu to decide what breakfast he wanted to have delivered to his room, with that done he simply turned on the television and watched the news for a few minutes before ordering a pay-per-view movie. As he watched 'The Daystalker', a less than average slasher flick staring Neveah Ratlif, he looked at the clock and thought it was strange that he had not heard from Malka. It was approaching nine o'clock and he swore she would have been by to check on him or let him know when they would head to Crethan Federal Prison to retrieve Britt.

He had time until his meal arrived, so he stopped the movie and grabbed the spare key card Malka had left for her room. He walked down the hallway with a feeling of trepidation, mainly because of how events between them had gone down the previous evening. Would she be angry with him or just brush it off as the side effect of the alcohol they had consumed. He paused at the door and took a deep breath quickly followed by another. Composed, he knocked on the door three times. As he waited he chuckled as he remembered her saying that he had a very distinctive knock. There was no immediate answer so he knocked once more. Again he waited for a response but it would never come.

He didn't know if it was concern for her regarding the mission or for what had happened last night but he felt compelled to take matters into his own hands and open the door himself and so he inserted the key card. The light on the lock flashed green and he turned the handle to open the door before he started having second thoughts. These thoughts were quickly overshadowed by the idea that if the roles were reversed then she would no doubt have no qualms about opening his door. He stepped into the room and listened for any sounds that would suggest a person was there but there none to be heard. He checked the bedroom, the bathroom, even the closet for some odd reason, but it became clear that Galit Malka was not in her room. Bowman decided that the best course of action would be to just be to go back to his room and have breakfast while he waited for her to return from wherever she was.

Breakfast came while he was watching the second part of the movie; Bowman turned it off to focus on eating his food. He took his time, feeling as though Malka would show up and not expect him to hurry up and eat. He finished his meal and still no sign. He turned the movie back on for the third time and half-watched it and half-watched the clock. By the time it was a quarter till eleven the movie was over and he was still there by himself. He looked at the selections of books that were situated on a bookshelf on the adjacent wall, and found a murder/mystery novel titled _'The Cursed Boat _**'**. As he read it he began to feel a hint of irritation grow in his mind. Yes, he might have acted a bit harshly the other night with her but it was no reason to shut him out this way regarding the mission…it just seemed so petty and unlike her.

There was a knock at the door and he bolted out of his chair and walked towards the door, each step only fueling the growing irritation he was feeling towards Malka. He swung the door open and barked, "Where the hell have you been?"

The person standing there was definitely not Galit Malka. Instead it was a giant of a man standing around six feet, eight inches with light skin, a black goatee, and a shaved head. He wore sunglasses, a tuxedo, and his goatee gave him a look of some sort of secret agent.

"Major Bowman, may I come in?"

Bowman was stunned at first, and feeling slightly embarrassed as well, "Yes of course, what can I do for you?"

The man walked in and turned to face him, Bowman noticed that there was bulge underneath the left side of his tuxedo jacket and he deduced that it was a gun.

"My name is Bryon Esmond, I am the head of security for Lydia Zeresi and am here on her behalf," Esmond said as he removed the sunglasses revealing a set of hazel eyes that seemed devoid of any sort of warmth.

"You'll have to forgive me; I was expecting someone else at the door."

"Yes, you were waiting for Lieutenant Malka to return from Crethan Federal Prison."

"Yes I was…what?" Bowman exclaimed, he had no idea she was at the prison.

"I see she did not tell you. We heard from a reliable source that she left here early this morning and headed directly to the prison."

"Why are you here then?"

"To ensure that you and Lieutenant Malka are able to leave the colony without being detected, Mrs. Zeresi knows you're being followed and for the sake of her nephew she is assisting you in escaping detection."

Deep in the Erebus Belt was an asteroid that had been hollowed out by tylium miners in search of the lucrative fuel to power all Faster-Than-Light spacecraft. Having failed to find the supplies they so desired the inner shell was converted into a science research facility. When Richard Adar was sworn in as President of the Colonies, he closed the facility in an attempt to save money that he could divert to other areas. Abandoned and all but forgotten, the SLA found this facility made an ideal base, and as such had converted it to suit their needs. In the former quarters for the Chief Scientist, General Jonas Sano of the SLA and Admiral Pierre Renoir of the Erabea. Some might have found it odd that a splinter group such as the SLA would be involved with a group of pirates such as the Erabea but it made sense from a tactical standpoint.

"Are you sure it's wise to trust the Basileus?" Renoir asked.

"My people are committed to the cause, now we need the weapons to fight for our cause," Sano said before taking a sip from the coffee mug that rested on the table.

"Then there is the matter of what we do with our guests if Adar refuses to negotiate."

Sano arched an eyebrow, "There is something you're not telling me?"

"I know the woman won't have anything to do with you, but the girl is different…"

"She is a means to an end, nothing more. If we can get one of them to side with us it will provide us with leverage to use against the President."

"What if he doesn't negotiate are you willing to follow through on your threat?"

Sano's green eyes held a hard edge to them and they seemed to bore directly into Renoir, "When I was fighting the Green Army in the Demeter Jungle on Scorpia I captured one of their soldiers. They were bombarding the Marines sent to assist us, and I used this captured soldier to make contact with the enemy commander. I told him that if he did not cease bombarding the Marines then I would execute the soldier I had captured. He called my bluff and I made sure our connection wasn't severed. I told him that what I was about to do was on his hands and not mine. I took out my sidearm and shot the soldier in the head. You see, Admiral Renoir, I am a man of my word and you would be wise to remember that."

Renoir said nothing, he simply nodded.

The door to the room opened and two women came in, each wearing the uniform of an Erebea officer. The Pirate group had been formed by a group of Tauron Military rebels during the Tauron Uprising almost ninety years ago and as such they clung onto some of the ideals of the old Tauron military that had been lost in the signing of the Articles of Colonization and the forming of the united Colonial Fleet. They were Isabelle Candela and Anne Hildred, two of Renoir's most-trusted confidantes. The two women were part of the crew of a small passenger ship that the Erebea had captured. After a period of confinement the two women agreed to become part of Renoir's group. At present they were tasked with overseeing the confinement of Rachel and Renee Adar.

"Rachel would like to see you General Sano, she says you promised her a tour of the station," Candela said. The two women had been tasked to get close to the prisoners. Rachel Adar had been more accepting of the women while her mother still held them with an icy disdain.

"General, is it wise to give the girl a tour of the facility. What if she tries to escape?" Hildred asked.

Sano laughed, "We're on a station in the Erebus belt, where could she run too? She is stuck on this facility and I doubt she can fly one of our shuttles. Bring the girl here and I will give her the tour I promised. Admiral Renoir, we shall finish our discussion at a later date."

A civil quiet had developed between Bowman and Esmond, mainly on the part of Bowman not wanting to know too much about what this highly-trusted Lieutenant of the crime boss did for a living. Eventually the two started up a conversation of small talk.

"So…you've spent your whole life on Canceron?"

Esmond nodded, "Yes, I grew up in the city of Faustinopolis which is near Scythia Beach. I joined the police department and was a guard at the Cilician Gates. That the main thoroughfare through the city. I was a casualty of a budget crisis and found myself without a job. Suffice to say, the Basileus saw a use for my expertise and knowledge of law enforcement procedure and I rose through the ranks to become head of Mrs. Zeresi's security force."

"You're saying that she's married as well?" Bowman asked, wondering how a woman as powerful as Lydia Zeresi would be able to maintain a marriage in the environment of an organized crime syndicate.

"She has been married for over forty years. She met Mr. Zeresi during the Cylon War and they have been inseparable ever since. They have five children, three boys and two girls, and Mr. Zeresi has been quite protective of the girls. I once heard the story that involved him telling the girls that he knew how he was with the ladies as a pilot during the War and he would know all the tricks their dates had up their sleeves."

The door to the room opened and in walked Galit Malka and a man who Bowman assumed was Marcellus Britt. Britt looked to be around the same age as Malka, with a shaved head and a pair of eyes that seemed to have instantly weighed and appraised him as a person. Bowman thought the man would still be in some sort of prison attire but instead he was in a black business suit and seemed to look like any young corporate executive.

"Major Bowman, care to fill me in on who your guest is?" Malka said in a business-like manner.

'What, no 'Ace' this time?' Bowman thought to himself.

Before he could speak, Esmond stood up. Bowman noticed that Malka took a defensive stance as though she was expecting an attack.

"Miss Malka, my name is Bryon Esmond. I am Mrs. Zeresi's chief of security; I'm here to help you."

Bowman saw Malka's stance relax a bit, but she still seemed to be on the defensive.

"Since you know who I am there is no need for an introduction, what are you here to help us with?"

"Admiral Corman has a surveillance team in the apartment complex across the street, they're waiting for you to leave and then apprehend you."

"Apprehend us?" asked Bowman not sure he could believe what he was hearing. "On what grounds?"

"That old favorite you military types like so much," said Esmond. "In the interests of Colonial Security."

"How do you know all this?" Bowman asked.

"The Basileus has…branched out for lack of better words. We have ears on the ground here on Virgon and when the Admiral of the Fleet sends a team to watch and apprehend a Colonial Fleet officer and a member of the Ministry of Intelligence well let's just say we take note of such things."

Britt looked more than a little amused at what he had walked in on. "I've only just got out of prison. Now you're telling me I'm going straight back in?"

Nobody answered him. They were too concerned with this sudden turn of events.

"If Corman intends to apprehend us," said Malka. "Then it's clear he intends to shut down Tolan's mission. We have to get back to the Valkyrie. How do you propose we escape detection?"

"There is a tunnel that runs underneath this hotel that leads to the supply warehouse on the opposite side of the street to the north of the building. I have a vehicle ready to take you to the Royce Jeffery Spaceport where a private shuttle has been arranged to transport you to the Canceron Transit Hub where a small cargo shuttle will take you to the Valkyrie, granted that Major Bowman is able to fly."

'I can't believe you just questioned whether I can fly a small shuttle!' Bowman thought with no lack of incredulity.

"We'll pack up and leave. Bowman, meet me at my room in five minutes. Mr. Britt, you're coming with me," Malka said as she turned to leave the room with Britt in tow.

"If you don't mind me saying, I think the temperature in this room dropped several degrees when she came in," Esmond noted.

"You don't have to remind me," Bowman said as he readied himself to leave. He hoped that he would get the chance to talk to Malka but by the look of things she must have decided to act as though nothing had happened the previous night and was playing the part of a professional Ministry of Intelligence Officer. He also realized she must really be pissed at him, herself, or perhaps both.

In Caprica City was the Quorum Building, the site of the meetings for the Quorum of Twelve, and the location of the office for the Vice President of the Twelve Colonies. The office was currently occupied by John Braden. The recent events had taken their toll on the President, if there were any plans to recover his sister and niece then they were not being shared with anyone outside of Adar's inner circle. Braden had been surprised to find himself tabbed as Adar's running mate, the Sagittaron native had no illusions about why he had been selected for the job. Adar was from Caprica, appealing to those on the wealthier colonies. Braden was there to balance the ticket and show the poor colonies that there a person in power who was one of them and understood their plight.

He had a call to make, one he had made every day since the abductions. Hehoped there would be progress made on his end. He paced his office and stopped to look out the window at Caprica City. Finally, he decided that he could not wait any longer. He picked up his mobile phone and dialed the secure number.

"Yes, how are things on your end?" He asked the man, trying to keep the conversation as generic as possible in case someone might be trying to listen in.

"Very good, I look forward to our next conversation. We will speak again in the future, General," Braden ended his phone call with General Jonas Sano. Adar's sister and niece were still unharmed, though the only news that could be reported was a weapons deal that had been reached with the Basileus crime syndicate. He knew the SLA would need those weapons to reach the ultimate goal; a Sagitarron that was sovereign and free of the influence of the other colonies. He would be there to take his place as the first President of an independent Sagitarron in over fourty six years.

**Emily Tolan's Residence**

Andre Graystone heard a car pull into the driveway and wondered what could be happening. The car, a very expensive-looking vehicle, stopped suddenly in front of the house and a man stepped out. Graystone realized that it was Dr. Sabus, the man who had been tending to his sister.

"I need your help, I believe this woman is a guest of yours," Sabus said as he opened the passenger door to reveal an unconscious Bridget Woods.

"Yes she is," Graystone said as he ran towards to the car to check on Woods. He knew there was no love lost between her and Emily, but he had always found her to be a woman who meant well and cared for Scott Tolan a great deal.

The two men picked her up out of the car and brought her into the house, "There's a guest room on the second floor that we use," Graystone said as the two men brought her up the stairs and laid her on the bed in the room.

"It seems a branch came off of a tree and hit her hard on the head, she was conscious briefly when I found her but then she passed out."

"Thank you for bringing her to us, we'll call a doctor to tend to her. I don't want to waste your time any further."

"Nonsense, I found her and I feel responsible for her well-being. I did spend time as a general practitioner before I went into obstetrics. I've cleared my schedule and I can stay here to look after both Miss Woods and your sister."

Graystone thought about it before finally nodding his head, "Very well, we'll get another guest room ready for you. In the meantime…"

"I will stay with her in case she wakes up," finished Bryce.

With that Andre Graystone turned and left the room.

Bryce Sabus leaned down beside the bed and stroked Bridget Woods' reddish-brown hair. The woman was quite attractive and he could see why Scott Tolan must have been attracted to her that night they first met.

"You are going to serve me well Bridget; you have already done more than enough for me…" Sabus said as he took a syringe out of his med kit and injected her with more of the drug that would leave her unconscious for at least seven hours. More than enough time for him to meet with Emily and begin his plan to steal her away from her husband. Even as he thought it he did not feel even the remotest hint of guilt for what he was planning. Looking down at Bridget his twisted mind added the notion that unless one of his brothers wanted Bridget Woods for a wife then she would make a fine consolation prize.

**BATTLESTAR VALKYRIE**

Tolan lay on the bed in his quarters when the door opened suddenly and in walked Commander Adama. The older man simply looked at him with ill-concealed annoyance.

"Commander Tolan."

"Commander Adama."

There was a brief pause between the two of them until Adama spoke through almost gritted teeth, "We may share the same rank Commander but I would thank you to show some respect to me when you are on my ship by having the decency of sitting up when I speak to you."

Tolan knew that this was not going to be a pleasant conversation and so not wanting to stir the cauldron any further he stood up in respect to Adama. "You are starting to become more trouble to me and my crew. First Internal Affairs comes on board, and now I have orders to detain you and your team."

"I think the only thing I need now is for a dragon to start following me around the ship and my time here will be even better."

"Cut the sarcasm!" Adama barked at him.

"Sorry, you know how much we enjoy dealing with Internal Affairs. Major Starling ordered me confined to quarters and I've been going stir-crazy!" Tolan offered, hoping to avoid an argument.

"That won't be an issue now."

Tolan shot Adama a quizzical look, "Are you saying that you are over ruling my confinement? I'm sure that Major Starling would have a few things to say about that."

"Not exactly," murmured Adama. "A shuttle arrived here fifteen minutes ago, it's your ride to the SLA base. I've decided to not report its arrival to Major Starling until after you've left."

"You know this won't go over well, right?"

"If it gets you off my ship and lets my crew get back to a normal life then I'm all for it," Adama said as he opened the door to the room.

"Thank you Commander Adama," Tolan said as he got off the bed and began to hurriedly pack up the few belongings he had brought with him.

"Good hunting Commander Tolan, now grab your gear and get the hell off my ship."

Tolan made his way to the hangar deck as quickly as he could**. F**rom there he would access the umbilical that had connected the shuttle to the starboard hangar pod. Each step he took brought him one step closer to his goal**. T**he only thing he wanted to avoid was Major Starling or one of her people from Internal Affairs.

When he reached the hangar he saw Major Bowman standing off to the side and motioning him forward.

"Well Major, nice of you to wait here for me," Tolan said when he got to within earshot of Bowman.

"What can I say Commander? A certain MoI officer threatened me with death if I didn't do it, how could I say no to her?" Bowman said with a grin, causing both men to laugh at the comment.

"Is everyone on board?" Tolan asked as they neared the umbilical.

"Yes sir, we sent word to Commander Adama to have the team assembled on the hangar deck. We, and by 'we' I mean Galit, decided it was best to let you be the last to know in order to avoid suspicion by the Internal Affairs team."

"I can understand that, at least we're back in business. Anything I need to know?"

"Yes sir, a lot actually…I don't know how to put this politely but it seems Admiral Corman has decided to screw us over."

Tolan just had his suspicions confirmed and a part of him wanted to stop then and there to find out everything Bowman knew but instead he just kept walking, "Once we're away from the Valkyrie I want a full debriefing from Malka and yourself."

Bowman simply nodded and opened the airlock that would lead them into the transport shuttle. When Tolan entered the ship he saw a deck plan on the right side bulkhead. This was a heavy transport shuttle, larger than normal shuttles and with more cargo capacity. It also had a cabin for both the CO and XO, the rest of the crew sleeping in a common berthing area.

Malka saw the two men and walked over to them, "Welcome aboard the Transport Shuttle _Jabin_, Commander Tolan, we are ready to leave as soon as you give the order."

"Very well then, Major Bowman if you would be so kind to get us out of here quickly," Tolan said as Bowman acknowledged the order with a salute and took his seat at the helm. Tolan took his seat in the center of the small CIC and gripped the arm rests, this would be interesting.

Bowman activated the ship-wide intercom, "All hands, this is the XO. Brace yourselves; this is going to be a quick departure."

Bowman looked back at Tolan and the two shared an acknowledging nod. Bowman gripped the levers in front of him and the shuttle _Jabin_ accelerated out of the flight pod at breakneck speed. Tolan was thrown back into his seat and he thought he heard Malka lose her balance.

When they were far out enough Tolan gave his next order, "Initiate FTL jump to the…" he realized he had yet to ask where they were going.

"That would be the Erebus belt sir," Bowman said, realizing with some embarrassment that he had forgotten to give Tolan that little piece of important information.

"Well I trust _you_ know the way Major," said Tolan with a grin.


	6. Chapter 6: Slipping Into Darkness

**Chapter Six: Slipping Into Darkness**

**Sagittaron Liberation Army Base (Erebus Belt):**

General Jonas Sano, the military leader of the Sagittaron Liberation Army, escorted the young girl down a corridor that seemingly led to nowhere in particular, except a small shuttle bay. This particular part of the base had been a ward of laboratories back when the base had been a science research station. His people had decided to one day find a purpose to use this unused section for and soon they would have the labs turned into accommodation quarters for the members of the Basileus that would be delivering the weapons his troops badly needed.

This was not how he had seen himself ending his military career, as a revolutionary, but a part of him had changed during his combat against the Green Army in the Demeter Jungle back on Scorpia. The Green Army was an eco-terrorist group on Scorpia opposed to the vast deforestation of the planet's jungles by off-world companies. The group began life as an activist group however things soon turned violent. The issue quickly became a national one and the troubles descended into jungle warfare between the Scorpian fighters and the Colonial Military. He had heard the old saying that Sagittarons were 'First to see combat, last to receive medals' but never believed it until after his Army forces and the Colonial Marines had routed the Green Army once and for all. He saw soldiers from Caprica, Virgon, Picon, and every other colony receive recognition for their service but the Sagittarons received lesser awards or none at all.

It was during a visit to Sagittaron that he met James Braden, a politician who aspired to bigger things and was not shy about it. The two men shared tales of how their people had been mistreated by Colonial society, ultimately an alliance was formed that would become the groundwork for the Sagittaron Liberation Army.

"What were these rooms used for?" Rachael Adar asked as she looked into one of the abandoned lab rooms.

"Good question, there were some things here that nobody was supposed to find out about," Sano said knowing that he was still unsure of exactly what experiments had taken place here.

"I bet my uncle could find out, he says he has the security clearance of the Gods," Rachael said as she stood on her tiptoes to look into a window that she could not have seen through otherwise.

"I suppose it's odd that they just left all of the equipment there," Sano admitted.

"They probably thought they would need it again one day, maybe one day when I'm done with school I can do whatever kind of research they did here."

Sano smiled at her, "I take it you're fond of science?"

Rachael nodded, "It's my favorite subject, math is nice too though but I love science!"

"One day I'll let you explore this area some more, but I need to take you back to your room."

Rachael looked sad all of a sudden, "How much longer will I be here? Those two women that stay with us aren't very nice. I worry they're going to hurt my mom and me."

Sano put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Don't you worry, and they're under orders from me not to lay a hand on you. I just need to finish some business with your uncle and then you and your mom will be free to go back home."

"Promise?"

"I promise Rachael, now let's get you back to your room."

**Transport Shuttle **_**Jabin**_**:**

It was dangerous to jump directly into the Erebus Belt, therefore it was necessary for the Jabin to take the long way around, a way that was slower than Tolan would have liked but a heavy transport shuttle was not like a warship and special care needed to be taken.

There were five other cabins onboard the Jabin, Tolan's private quarters and the four that were rows of bunks shared by the crew. Even though Tolan was the only one who had his own quarters aboard the transport vessel the accommodations were quite spartan and the functional room clearly served as both personal quarters and office for the master of such a vessel. Across the wall opposite the hatch was the standard metal frame bunk that Tolan had become accustomed to during his career. On the wall to the right was a series of wardrobes and cupboards positioned around a desk. On the left was a rather worn green leather sofa.

Tolan sat at the desk writing some notes down on a legal pad when he heard a knock on his door. He called for the person to come in and in stepped Bowman.

"Major Artimus Bowman, what can I do for you," quipped Tolan playfully before adding, "And more to the point who is piloting this shuttle right now?"

"That would be Ensign Zayre, there was a need for a backup pilot and when I asked him about joining us he volunteered though I fear he's scared to death of me," Bowman said as he sat down on a small sofa opposite to the desk Tolan was sitting at. During an attempt on the lives of the rescue group, Bowman had saved the life of Ensign Morris Zayre but had come down exceptionally hard on the rookie pilot for his carelessness.

"That's understandable. He needs to understand the need for safety in our line of work as well as keeping his eye on the ball even against the backdrop of…personal affairs." Bowman felt as though Tolan were referring to something aimed at him and while he suspected what it was he couldn't be sure and decided to ignore it. Seeing that Bowman wasn't taking the bait Tolan asked, "I take it we're still making our way through the Amati Sector?"

Bowman nodded, "It's an empty expanse of space and we have five hours until I need to navigate us through the Erebus Belt."

"Makes sense, perhaps you should consider getting some rack time or something to eat until then. I went through the Erebus Belt once before in a Viper. That was difficult enough."

"Yes sir, I will," said Bowman whose eyes looked away from the Commander momentarily before returning to the Commander.

A brief pause filled the room until Tolan asked, "Anything else, Major?"

Bowman cleared his throat. "I was wondering if you knew where I could find Galit? We have some business that we need to discuss from our trip to Virgon."

Tolan seemed enormously amused with the Major and the apparent tension that seemed to have followed him and Galit Malka from Virgon.

"I see…well I won't pry but I will let you know that she is in Cabin Five, two doors down on the right of this corridor. She hasn't quite seemed like herself since she came back, from the little I've seen of her of course. Is there anything I should be aware of?"

"No sir," said Bowman rather rushed and almost embarrassed.

"I hope you're not mixing business with pleasure? I saw the bill on my credit card from your hotel. You two seemed to have had quite a night."

Bowman could not have glowed more with embarrassment if he had taken a hot shower in a nuclear reactor. His eyes guiltily ran around the room before he quickly apologized.

"I'm sorry about that. It was your personal account and I will pay you back. I guess we got a little carried away," said Bowman who soon realized he was referring to what happened that night rather than running up a bill on Tolan's card.

"Don't worry about it," said Tolan.

Bowman stood up and gave Tolan an acknowledging nod of appreciation. He began to leave when Tolan said, "Major!" Bowman turned around. "Take it from a guy who knows; whenever the Gods present us with an opportunity we are always given two choices. We can embrace it or we can ignore it. Whichever choice you make just make sure it's the right one or you'll insult the Gods." Bowman understood what Tolan was saying but his atheist views allowed for little concern about what the Gods thought. Seeing this Tolan added, "And to yourself."

Britt lay on his back on the bottom bunk of one of the small and cramped quarters aboard the Jabin as Galit Malka raised his hands above his head and handcuffed him to the metal frame of the bed.

"Ow!" cried Britt as she tightened the restraints around his wrists. "Y'know I do have rights. You can't treat me like this. I volunteered. Remember? I'm a free man now."

Galit stood up after making sure he was secure. "You are free once this operation is completed. Until then you're mine!"

"Oooh, Miss Malka," Britt joked slyly. "Are you flirting with me Lieutenant?"

Malka cocked her nose up at the man who lay in the bunk. Marcellus Britt was a rather scruffy and un-groomed man in his late twenties with quite a hefty portion of stubble lining the lower half of his face. He almost always had a grin on his face as if life were some joke that was being played out purely for his amusement.

"Just shut up and stay there!" she ordered as she turned around to face Keene Barron who was finishing setting up a punching bag in the middle of the room. The bag hung from a thick pressure pipe that ran through the room and was quite a thick bag with a sandy interior.

"Who's going first?" asked Barron.

"Me," she said. "Would you do the honors?"

"Sure," said Barron as he stood behind the bag to hold it in place for her. Malka took off her jacket to reveal a white sports vest underneath. As she threw the jacket down on the bunk opposite, Britt's eyes examined her shapely athletic physique with a lustful glare. As she threw her weight into a hefty right hook into the bag Britt seemed to become even more attracted to her; he liked feisty women.

"I'm sure glad I'm not the bag," said Britt watching as she threw herself into a volley of attacks against the bag. Each impact reverberated through the interior causing Barron to shake as he held on.

"If you don't shut up you will be," she said as she blew a loose strand of hair away from her mouth.

For several minutes she assaulted the bag with a fury that gave even Barron a strong feeling of apprehension. He made a mental note then and there to never get on the wrong side of Galit Malka. Before long her upper body had developed a thin veneer of sweat that glistened in the dim light of the room.

There was suddenly a knock on the hatch. Barron turned to see who was there only to be caught off guard by a powerful left footed kick against the bag which escaped his hands began to swing around the room.

"Major," said Barron to Artimus Bowman who was standing at the entrance to the room.

"Am I interrupting?" asked Bowman who was looking passed Barron at Malka who was now catching her breath. Barron quickly picked up on the fact that Bowman wanted to see Malka alone.

"Uh no," said Barron. "I was going to get something to drink anyway. If you'll excuse me." Barron quietly slipped out of the room as the tension in it became tangible. Once he was gone Bowman and Galit found themselves on opposite sides of the still-swinging punch bag.

Bowman was about to speak when he noticed for the first time that Britt was laying on the bunk looking at them.

"Why's he handcuffed to the bunk?" he asked.

Before she could answer Britt said with a dry wit, "Oh I'm into some really kinky stuff."

"I see," uttered Bowman who was hardly amused by the quip. Bowman's eyes returned to Malka who still stood there quietly staring at him. For several seconds he tried to say something but the words wouldn't form. It was then that she walked forward and stopped the bag from swinging. Holding it between her hands she looked at him and asked, "You were a boxer at the Academy, right, Major?"

"I was," he answered.

"Then let's see what you got."

Bowman accepted the challenge. He began to unbutton his duty jacket before throwing it down on the bunk next to her jacket. Now in his grey t-shirt he took up position against the bag and held his hands up in a prone position.

"I've been trying to talk to you since…since Virgon," he explained before throwing his left hand into the bag followed by his right.

"Been busy with the mission," she said smiling from the other side of the bag.

"I'm the XO of this mission," he announced throwing his right into the bag which landed slightly awkwardly. "You shouldn't have done anything without consulting me first."

Holding the bag to the side to look directly at him she smiled cheekily and asked, "Is that why you came down here, to reprimand me for circumventing your authority?"

Bowman walked forward and rested up against the bag that was now the only thing between them. Bowman didn't know if it was intentional or not but somehow their faces had been drawn close to one another. It was a similar experience to what he felt the other night on Virgon. There was energy between them that pulled them together. He had only ever felt that once before and that was with Brooke Garner.

"Not exactly," he said finally wording the truth.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as a cheeky smile arched up he the side of her face. "Why else did you come down here…Major?"

"I just didn't like the way we left things at the hotel," he said almost in an embarrassed whisper.

She leaned in even closer to him. He could now feel her warm breath gently grazing his face as she asked, "So you came down here to finish what we started? Is that it?" She moved the bag aside and placed her hands onto his belt as she closed the remaining gap. Bowman felt as though his private space was being invaded by a relentless foe to which he had only a little defence. She waited for him to react to her advance but no such response came from Bowman. "No!" she uttered stepping back feeling foolish.

"I feel I need to explain something to you?" he said humbly.

"You're not sly are you?" she asked with her trademark comedic undertone. "That's another thing that wasn't in your file."

"No I'm not," he explained.

"So who is she?" asked Malka figuring out the truth for herself.

"Her name is Brooke Garner. We uh, we were an item for a while. I called it off a few months ago."

"Oh yeah! Why?" she asked.

"It was tough. Her family didn't like me very much. I didn't like that I was tearing her away from them so I called it off. It's that simple really."

"Huh!" she said in mild surprise. "I had no idea."

"What do you mean?"

"I had no idea that you'd give up so easy," she explained hinting at her disappointment in him.

"Believe me," he said looking into her eyes to prove his sincerity. "It was anything but easy. Anyway that's what I came to say and that's it."

Bowman turned away and walked out leaving his jacket on the bunk. As the hatch closed behind him Malka noticed for the first time since Bowman had entered that Britt was lying on the bunk listening to their conversation with intense interest.

"You know what?" he said to her. "The air in this room is now more uncomfortable than these handcuffs."

Malka gave him a sideways glance and simply said, "Shut up."

**CAPRICA**

Dr. Bryce Sabus awoke feeling invigorated. The bed in the guest room of the Tolan's Caprica residence was incredibly comfortable and he had not had a sleep that good since staying at his family's manor back in Sabalot. He took a shower and the whole time he pondered his course of action for the plan he had set in motion. He had Bridget Woods effectively out of the way, The sleep aid he had administered to her would keep her unconscious for quite some time and helped to exacerbate the seriousness of her injury which in reality was being controlled and subdued by his own care. Emily Tolan already trusted him, seeing as how he was a physician, and he was sure he could get both Andre and Andrea Graystone on his side easily enough.

Once dressed, he went downstairs and noticed that none of the family was present. All he heard was the sound of someone cooking in the kitchen. He walked in and discovered a woman he did not recognize.

"Good morning, Miss…" Sabus said as he acted as though he was trying to remember her name.

"Tracey Simons, I'm the cook for the Tolans while Mrs. Tolan recovers," the woman said to Sabus while she concentrated on the dish she was creating.

"I see," said Bryce who was suspicious of the woman who became an X-factor in his formula for success. Would she be an asset to his plan or a hindrance? "Well Miss Simons, have you had far to travel this morning?" Sabus asked in an attempt to make small talk with the woman he immediately regarded as mere hired help.

"I'm from Ingersoll, southwest of Delphi, and I attended culinary school at the Fraser Culinary School in Caprica City. Anything else you need to know or shall I continue giving facts about my life until you're curiosity is satisfied?"

"I'll leave you to your work Miss Simons, thank you for your time," Sabus said as he turned to walk away feeling irked at the way the woman had spoken to him. He was royalty and should be treated with a degree of respect.

He was going to start up the stairs when he heard a phone start to ring. He looked around and saw Andre Graystone come out of an adjacent room and picked up the receiver. Sabus stayed out of the way and listened in to the conversation between Graystone and a man named 'Brad'.

Sabus wanted to wait and talk to Graystone but that would have to wait. Out of the two siblings, Bryce reasoned Andre Graystone, would be the easier one to become friends with. There was something about his sister, Andrea that set Sabus on edge. It was as though the woman had an inherent distrust of men and he was nowhere near able to earn that trust from her. No, it was better to play the brother instead of the sister. In the meantime he could check on Emily Tolan and get a better feel for the woman he had every intention of seducing away from her husband.

He bounded up the stairs before knocking on her door and shortly thereafter heard Emily Tolan give whoever was there permission to come in. Sabus walked in and saw her laying in bed, only instead of being under the covers she was wearing a pair of red sweatpants and a white Caprica Buccaneers t-shirt. Her red hair was pulled back into a ponytail and he noticed that the television was on.

"How's my favorite patient doing this morning?" he said with his best smile.

"She's doing better than she has been the past few days," Emily said as she turned to face him.

"Colonel Woods was in an accident and I brought her here so I could look after both of you," he saw that she was about to say something and he had an idea as to what it was; "I've cleared my schedule for the next few days so don't worry about my patients. Dr. Besal is more than willing to pick up the slack for me."

"You read my mind," Emily said before laughing, "I'm not going to be a good patient though, I was told to just rest and that's what I'm doing."

"I see that you are," Sabus said as he pulled a chair up to the bed and sat down in it, "What are you watching?"

"Right now it's a courtroom drama called 'The Judgement of Robert F. Dellinger' and then I'm going to follow that up with a romantic comedy called 'Winner Takes All'.

"Interesting, I fear I didn't peg you as a romantic comedy kind of woman."

Emily shrugged, "It's a vice, besides it's nice to see a couple get a happy ending even if it's on-screen. In reality it isn't always like that is it?"

There was an element of regret in her voice that Sabus immediately picked up on. His scheming mind went into overload as he reasoned that she must have been referring to her and Scott but he couldn't be sure if it was aimed squarely at the miscarriage or whether it had more to do with their marriage in general. Either way Sabus saw an opening and went for it, "I hope you don't mind me prying, but is everything alright between your husband and you?" He saw the look in her eye and decided to use a clinical approach, "I'm also a registered psychologist, and it's sort of a side degree I got to make me more empathetic as a doctor. Sometimes I can't help myself."

There was a moment of hesitation before Emily spoke, "He should be here with me, I mean I almost died and lost the baby as well. Yet he's out there somewhere in space losing himself in his work when I need him. To make it worse, he's on some secret mission that I don't think his 'friend' Bridget even knows about. Gods, Bryce, I could have died and now my husband is out there possibly putting himself in danger. He likes to think he's some invincible hero who can just jump into anyone else's situation and save the day but when it's me I'm just left on my own. I just don't understand…"

"I think I do," said Bryce who was smiling devilishly on the inside as he dug the knife in.

"Oh?"

"I think he's being a coward. It's easy to be a hero in someone else's situation because there is very little risk to one's self. But to face your own problems head on sorts the good from the bad in people. That's when you see their true colors and that's what is happening with your husband now."

Emily didn't seem convinced however much to his disappointment. "I don't think that sounds like Scott."

Disappointed but not deterred Bryce altered the angle of his attack.

"I wish I knew what was going on his mind, but it seems he's put a higher priority on his career than he has on your marriage. I know it's hard to hear, but you have to question his motives and not to mention that there seems to be some animosity between you and Bridget. Is there some history there that I'm not aware of?"

"It all happened before I met Scott, they had a brief fling that caused a scandal and it seems that to this day he's trying to come to her rescue for some reason I can't even fathom."

"Could it be that there are still some romantic feelings between the two of them?"

Another shrug from Emily, "I wonder sometimes, it might be a look or some little gesture that to most people would just show that there's a caring between them but knowing their history I always have to wonder."

"I've always believed that sometimes things really are what they seem to be. If you think there is something more to their relationship then the odds are better than good that you're right," Sabus said, hoping he was not overstepping his boundaries too much.

"I don't want to think that though, there has to be some reason why he's always doing something to save her or her career."

"It seems our man Scott has his priorities misplaced. He's putting another woman in front of the woman he swore in front of the Gods themselves to love and cherish. It seems he's being well…selfish and only thinking of himself," Sabus reached over and patted Emily on the hand. He was relieved that she did not try to move his hand away.

"He should be here with me, it's like I have to share him with her. I know I signed on for the life of a military spouse but it just gets to me that when he's not here with me he's out there not only putting himself in danger but being in a confined space with a woman he slept with and seems to still care about."

Sabus was going to say something but the door opened and in walked Andrea Graystone. She looked a good deal like her sister, only with green eyes and her red hair was considerably shorter than her sister's. She looked at the two of them and raised an eyebrow, "What's up, Doc?"

"Just making a house call of course, Colonel Woods has yet to wake up so I decided to take advantage of the situation and check on my other patient," Sabus flashed a smile at her but it seemed she was immune to his charm.

"That's nice, how is she?"

"She's recovering nicely, I think in a few more days she'll be able to leave the house perhaps."

"Glad to hear it, now if you'll excuse me I'd like to have a conversation with my younger sister," her voice seemed to have an edge to it that made Sabus uncomfortable. Perhaps it was disappointment he was feeling? He reasoned that his offensive to capture her heart must not have gained full momentum yet since he believed that if this was the case she would surely want to spend time with him. 'No matter' he thought, 'I still have plenty of time. Who knows; maybe that loser Scott will get himself killed. Our family has always had an element of luck about it. But if that Andrea's on to me I may have to devise another plan,' Sabus thought to himself before saying, "Of course Andrea, I'll leave the two of you alone," he got up and began to walk towards the door.

Andrea let him pass by but stopped him and whispered, "That's either Miss Graystone or Lieutenant Graystone to you Doc, understood?"

Sabus said nothing and simply walked by her.

**Transport Shuttle **_**Jabin**_**:**

Keene Barron had left the room where Malka, Bowman, and Britt were having what he figured was a reckoning of some sort. He knew there was some tension between Malka and Bowman, he wondered if there was some underlying romantic element to them that was fighting its way to the surface one way or another. He figured he would eventually hear about it from Malka and he'd know if his suspicions were correct or not. He had initially been unsure of if he wanted to work with the young MoI officer or not, they both held the same rank but Malka had been considered a rising star in the eyes of the higher-ups. Because of this perception Malka had been given command of the mission over him, he was there for logistical purposes and to provide backup if needed.

Barron walked into the ship's mess, a room that was large enough to accommodate the crew but still seemed small compared to some of the other vessels he had been on. Because of the short notice the crew had to make due with nothing but MREs. That part did not bother him, he had made a meal out of them plenty of times when was stationed on Scorpia during the conflict with the Green Army.

In truth, he had not thought of the Green Army for quite some time. Not to say it was an easy conflict to be involved in. What had thought would be a simple police action on Scorpia turned out to be a conflict that could have easily turned into a civil war on the colony. It had taken a combined effort from the Colonial Marines, Colonial Army, Colonial Air Force, and the Colonial Fleet aviation forces to bring the activity of the Green Army to an end.

He saw a group sitting at one of the tables and when he had his MRE ready he walked over and asked if he could have a seat.

"How's the food?" Barron asked in an attempt to break the ice.

"It's good enough for us Marines and our Petty Officer here, might not be up to your MoI standards," said a female Marine at the far end of the table which drew a round of snickering from the other people.

"Keene Barron," he said in an attempt to introduce him, "you are?"

"Sgt. Coralie Jaillet, I'm in charge of these jarheads. Sitting with us are Lance Corporal Hannah Nicholson, Private Richard Somers, Corporal John Harbrecht, and Petty Officer First Class Robert Imlay."

"I was in the Corps before I joined up with the MoI, I was an officer to be exact," Barron said, which drew questioning glances from the Marines at the table.

"You're serious; you really were an officer in the Corps?" Jaillet asked.

Barron could not help but smile before he said, "First Lieutenant Keene Michael Barron at your service." Feeling that he might be a little more accepted by them he began to sit down next to Corporal Harbrecht before continuing, "I was an officer in the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, the "Thundering Third", as we were called. We provided the ground combat element for the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which at the time was the designated rapid-response force. When we were sent to Scorpia our posting was at Fort Sanford in Bazemore. There had been rumors that hostilities were on the verge of breaking out between the military and the Green Army. Initially it was only us and the Army's 7th Infantry Division, it would be after the first year of combat when it was realized we were going to need more troops on the ground and more air support."

"I was stationed on Scorpia during the fighting, "Petty Officer Robert Imlay said to the people who were sitting at the table.

"Is that right, where were you stationed?" Barron asked.

"Fort Autzen in Byromville, the Colonial Fleet had two squadrons of Vipers and four squadrons of Raptors stationed there. I was part of the group responsible for keeping them in flying condition."

"I had my ass saved a few times by those Vipers, and I know some people would have died if it weren't for those Raptors going into harm's way and doing the rescue work," Barron said, tipping his bottle of water in Imlay's direction in a gesture of respect.

"If you were a Marine, how did you find your way to the MoI?" Lance Corporal Hannah Nicholson, one of the six Marines with the rescue group, asked.

"Well, it wasn't so much that I was looking for them as they were looking for me," Barron began before taking a sip of water and then continuing, "My unit was patrolling the Aviere Sector of the jungle when we came under attack by Green Army forces. We took quite a few initial casualties in the surprise attack before I managed to get my people to cover, it wasn't much and in time they would have overrun us. We were equipped for a patrol, not a protracted firefight. Eventually the commander of the Army forces managed to persuade the Green Army to let us escape. Well reports of my actions under fire reached a recruiting official with the MoI and they made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I still serve the Colonies, but in a different way now."

"Semper frakking Fi!" Sgt. Coralie Jaillet shouted which got a rousing echo from the other Marines in the ship's mess.

"With all due respect, I think you should have stayed with the Corps sir. This cloak and dagger b.s. has to get old," Private Richard Somers, another of the Marines, said.

Barron shook his head, "Far from it, I'm making a difference and I can use my own judgment when I'm in the field. Sometimes you have an officer who has no idea how to lead and yet you're still bound to follow orders for the most part."

"I had an officer like that when I was stationed on the Hermes, what a jackass!" Corporal John Harbrecht exclaimed as though the memory was still fresh in his mind.

"Was it all bad memories from Scorpia?" Imlay asked, trying to keep the Marines from complaining further about bad officers and whether Barron should have stayed in the Corps.

"I have both tattoos and scars from my time there," Barron said as he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt revealing three different tattoos on his biceps, two on the left and one on the right.

"Where did you get those at?" Jaillet asked.

"This one here," Barron said pointing to a well-muscled hand holding a lightning bolt "was from a trip I took to Cathays when I was on leave. My first tattoo actually."

"Where did the other two come from, are they from Scorpia too?" Nicholson asked.

Barron nodded, "This one here," he pointed to a bull that looked ready to charge, "Is the mascot of 'The Thundering Third' and that one was done in Port Talbot when I visited a friend who had just been discharged from the hospital there after he was wounded in combat. We both got good and drunk and decided that we really needed identical tattoos to remember the occasion."

That comment brought a round of laughter from everyone sitting at the table.

"This last one here," Barron pointed at the last tattoo on his right bicep which was an image of a medal, "came when I was in Trowbridge at the end of the conflict with the Green Army. I decided to get a tattoo of the Distinguished Service Order. Which I was awarded for my actions that day in the Demeter Jungle when my unit was ambushed, I think my parents were quite proud of me that day."

"Distinguished Service Order is a big deal, there's no way they could not have been proud of you! I bet your girlfriend rewarded you in her own way," Harbrecht said with a sly grin.

"Oh I'm sure she would have if she hadn't have left me while I was on Scorpia," Barron saw the looks of both disgust and morbid curiosity among the group, "Her name was Jenae Leta, we knew each other from Leonis and when I got my orders to deploy to Scorpia I asked her to marry me and she accepted. It was when I was recovering from my wounds received in that ambush that I received a letter from her. She had met a man by the name of Alexander Fitzrov and the two had fallen in love. Damn thing about did me in, I actually thought it would have been more merciful if the Green Army had simply killed me. My parents, despite their busy schedule in the Colonial Diplomatic Corps, made it to Scorpia to see their only child get the Distinguished Service Order," Barron took another drink of water and saw that nobody at the table knew what to say next.

'That story seems to throw a wet blanket on any conversation,' Barron thought to himself more out of amusement.

Tolan was doing the one thing he had not done since his school days; he was doodling on the yellow legal pad that was on the desk. His mind was in a myriad of places. He thought of the mission, wondering just what lay ahead of them. When he had read Bowman and Malka's report it was like a punch in the gut. Admiral Corman had sent Lt. Aperlae ahead of him to rescue President Adar's sister and niece. To make matters worse, Aperlae had gone a long way in royally pissing off his Aunt Lydia and making an enemy of the woman who ran the Basileus was not going to be healthy or profitable for anyone…except maybe the local funeral home. Perhaps Corman did not fully appreciate what he had done to secure the aid of the Basileus, there was now a huge favor he owed his aunt and he had no doubt that one day Lydia Zeresi would call it in. In some ways a piece of his soul that he had saved from the corruption of the crime family had been sacrificed in order to make this rescue mission happen.

He was reminded of a quote he had once read; one that had stuck with him for all these years, 'We define ourselves by what we are willing to die for.'

When he thought of that quote there was only one thing that came into his mind: Emily. He wanted nothing more than to be there with her on Caprica. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her and kiss her until the pain they both felt from her miscarriage had gone away. Instead he was on a mission no person could know about unless they had a security clearance higher than the Gods themselves. She did not know that he was on a tramp freighter making its way to a secret terrorist base where their mission may already be compromised to the point that they were royally screwed when they arrived there. He had a crew that he was leading into harm's way with no sure way of knowing what awaited them.

He looked at the clock and saw that they had a little less than four and a half hours until they reached the Erebus Belt, from there Major Bowman would have to delicately pilot them through the treacherous field of asteroids towards the main base of the Sagittaron Liberation Army. All he could was pray that fate would smile upon them and that when the time came to make the decisions that needed to be made that he would have the experience and fortitude to make the right ones.


	7. Chapter 7: Belly of the Beast

_**Chapter Seven: Belly of the Beast**_

_**Jabin:**_

Artimus Bowman was asleep in his rack, but his mind was taking him to a place he was not yet ready to go to. He was at Essex Park in Delphi with Brooke. The sun was shining down on them through a cloudless sky and it looked set to be just another picturesque day. But this was not an ordinary day. This was one of the defining moments in their lives. The decisions they would make here and now would have a profound impact on the rest of their lives. The truth was however that Artimus had already made his decision before even going to meet with her that day.

They sat at a table under one of the pavilions at the park, each of them faced outward at Lake Stephenson. He could clearly see the look of hurt and anger in Brooke's eyes as he told her that he could not be with her anymore. The pain he felt from putting her through this, he would not have blamed her for wanting to reach up and slap him with all the strength she possessed. In his dream he saw her turn to walk away, stepping down the concrete walkway out of the park and out of his life.

Until that moment, 'pain' was only a word to him.

"Wake up…time to wake up…" a soft voice whispered into his ear.

"I don't want to," Artimus said with all the grogginess he was feeling showing in his voice.

"Sorry love, time to wake up…" the woman's voice said again with such sweetness.

"Oh frak off..." Artimus said as he tried to shut her voice out of his mind and find his way back to being asleep.

"Wrong choice of words," she said, though this time there was a hint of a playful mischief.

'Galit!'

Artimus' mind screamed as he realized just who was talking to him. He bolted up in his rack and hit his head hard on the metal ceiling. He yelped and let out a stream of pained obscenities.

"Is that any way to talk in front of a lady?" Galit Malka said with a look on her face that showed her amusement with him was hardly being kept beneath the surface at all. She had been leaning over him when she was trying to wake him up. Having achieved that goal she proceeded to sit on the bottom of his bunk and watching him rubbing his tired eyes like he was twelve again being made to get up early ready for school.

"Depends on if I really want to consider you a lady," Bowman said before realizing this would only escalate with Malka, "Sorry…why are you waking me up?"

"Well Ace, here's the thing. You are supposed to pilot us to the SLA base once we reach the Erebus Belt. Remember that little detail?"

Artimus rubbed the part of his head that had hit the overhead, "Yeah I remember that, Tolan said we had about five hours."

"It's been four hours and fifty five minutes," she announced with absolute glee. "We're at the Erebus Belt, and you should get the picture about now."

"I didn't think I had been asleep that long."

"Well you have been so get to the part where you do your flying thing and we'll all be happy." She stood up off the bunk and reached into the small locker that lined the side of each bunk. She opened it and threw his trousers and jacket on top of him, the buckle of his belt catching the bottom of his chin which caused him to jolt in surprise. She loved every second of teasing him in this way. She had gotten over what had happened on Virgon. She was not going to allow herself to pine over anyone; not even Major Artimus Xavier Bowman. She had more self respect than that. Their relationship had returned to the friendly banter that it once was.

"Well?" asked Bowman.

"Well what?" she asked back.

"You going to get out so I can get dressed?"

"And how do I know you won't just fall back to sleep. I have my orders too you know."

Bowman sighed in annoyance. "Then would you at least turn around?"

"Why?" she asked grinning devilishly as she stepped forward. "What have you got to be so afraid of, huh? Let's see!"

In a quick move she had reached down and pulled the blanket from off his body. Before she could make good her escape however Artimus had instinctively given chase and caught hold of her wrapped inside the blanket. She stumbled and fell onto the deck. Artimus tried to stop himself but his momentum had been such that it was impossible and he too found himself falling onto the deck beside her. The two of them laughed heartily at their clumsiness. For Artimus a laugh or even a chuckle had become a rarity these past few months and yet whenever he was around Galit, no matter how much he hated to admit, the MoI agent somehow managed to get one out of him.

Their eyes met as they lay on the deck plate. Their laughter had descended down into warm smiles at one another. Artimus couldn't quite figure why or how but she was thawing him out from the cold and bitter man that he was when this mission began. There was something about her that he just couldn't put his finger on that made him feel good inside. Perhaps that was why he had associated her with Brooke back at the hotel. She was the only woman who had ever made him feel this way before and yet here was Galit Malka who blown into his life like a tornado and turned it upside down and yet he loved it. He truly did.

When did this happen? He thought to himself. Maybe it was on Virgon? Maybe it was before then? Maybe he had felt like this all along but was clouded by his emotions over his split with Brooke?

Somehow their heads were inching closer together. Upon realizing this was happening the two of them took a second to look into each other's eyes and try to see what the other was thinking. Galit was slightly angry at herself for letting this happen again. She was hurt last time at the hotel on Virgon and she had promised to leave what happened in the past and yet she gave herself willing to him and the corners of her lips were upturned in delight because of it. She wanted him. It was because he had rejected her at the hotel that she wanted him so badly now. It was not because she wanted to heal her wounded pride over being rejected. It was more of a case of knowing that if she could win his heart he would be true to her. He wasn't like most other men she had been with. He wasn't interested in her body. Artimus Bowman was the type of man who wanted a woman's heart to supplement his own. It was an old fashioned romantic ideal that she had longed for ever since she was a small and living at the orphanage.

Artimus on the other hand looked like a Rabbit caught in a car's headlights. He was nervous and apprehensive. His logical mind that he relied on was subdued by the emotions that were circling his body. He wasn't sure what exactly it was that was drawing him to her. She was very beautiful so it could have been lust while at the same time she offered an air of excitement with the danger of her profession. The mistake he knew he was making was that he was thinking. He always thought too much and he knew it. For one of the very few times in his life he let himself go.

Their eyes closed as they began to meet one another. Their lips began to curl outward in preparation for that moment when they would finally touch.

"Major Bowman to the bridge! Major Bowman to the bridge!"

The voice over the ship's intercom broke the moment. Just millimeters from one another they had stopped. Artimus looked at her uncertain what to do next. She quickly placed a finger on his lips and uttered, "That's your cue Ace." With that she stood up and walked out, her face glowing as she knew that this time she had ended it on her terms but they could pick it up at another time.

Bowman walked onto the bridge and sitting in the chair reserved for the commanding officer was Commander Scott Tolan.

"Glad you could join us Major Bowman, a few more minutes and I'd have sent out a search party for you," Tolan deadpanned with mock seriousness.

"Good thing this ship isn't all that big or else they'd still be out there searching for me," Bowman said as he took the pilot's seat from Ensign Morris Zayre, drawing a laugh from both him and Tolan.

"Noted Major, begin piloting us through this collection of asteroids," Tolan said as he sat back in the captain's chair and watched as Bowman began to navigate through the Erebus Belt and towards the SLA base. As he watched his XO get to work he couldn't help but notice that Artimus Bowman had changed somewhat. Tolan couldn't quite put his finger on it but the Major seemed to be almost glowing.

_**Scorpia, Demeter Jungle**_

_**(Eleven Years before the Fall)**_

The barrage of gunfire was enough to drive even the most hardened of warriors to flinch uncomfortably. This was the face of the recon group led by First Lieutenant Keene Barron. Their orders were to simply take control this section of the Demeter Jungle and report on any enemy activity that they encountered. Instead they had walked into an ambush, and now his men were pinned down against a larger contingent of the insurgents known as 'The Green Army'.

"Everyone stay down and conserve your ammo!" Barron called out to the Marines he had commanded through most of the vicious and tragic war that had begun on the jungle colony that bore the name of the Scorpion. No better name could have been granted to this lush and green world as it was turned into a battleground between the eco-terrorist forces of the Green Army and the Colonial Military.

The dispute started quite mundanely over deforestation rights granted to off world companies and the subsequent 'rape' of natural resources. It quickly turned violent and nationalist emotions began to surface as a result. Nobody wanted to come out and say it but the truth was this was in effect a pseudo-civil war. "Only engage targets of opportunity. Anything else is a waste of ammo of ammo we simply don't have!"

"Got it sir," Sergeant Claude Bastable called out as the sound of incoming mortar fire from beyond the horizon began to land nearby their position with heavy thuds and loud popping sounds as the fragmentation shells exploded a few feet above the ground sending shards of shrapnel in every direction.

"Sir, Fort Autzen is sending Raptors in to extract us. General Brierley wants us to hold the Greens off for as long as we can," Private Jenna Casby said after receiving the communication through her wireless set.

"There's a clearing not far to the south of here, I want everyone to evac there and wait for the Raptors," Barron said as he readied his assault rifle for what was to come, "I'm staying behind to hold the Greens off."

"Sir, we're not leaving here without you," Bastable said though he knew there was nothing he could do to counter that order.

"Let me know when the Raptors arrive and I'll book it to the LZ," Barron said as he found a position with decent enough cover."

Reluctantly the Marine recon team followed their leader's orders. After watching them disappear into the heavy bush behind him Barron turned back towards the direction that he knew the enemies were coming from. The mortar fire was subsiding which could mean only one thing; the Greens were sending in their troops to mop up.

Barron knelt down behind the tall roots of what he was sure was a tree that was at least five hundred or so years old. As he took cover waiting for the enemy to appear he tried to imagine what it must have been like when it was still young and frail.

Voices!

In a flash he held the butt of his rifle deep into his right shoulder as he stared down the barrel in the direction they were coming from. Through the steam of the tropical climate he could see long shadows of people running by. He waited a few moments for that perfect opportunity. He wasn't going to start shooting off his ammo in their direction until he was sure that he could draw them towards him and away from his men. If he could kill a few of them in just one quick burst they may panic and think they are facing a platoon. That was wishful thinking.

Suddenly from nowhere a man appeared just a few feet ahead of him. His approach had been masked by the tree line and he was now only twenty meters away. Barron didn't even think. His rifle instinctively trained on the human's head and his trigger finger squeezed a two round burst.

The bullets ripped into the enemy soldier's chest just below the neck. His body slumped backwards and he fell to the ground; dead.

_**Jabin:**_

Barron awoke with a start as he came from the short sleep he had been in. He looked around and found that instead of on the ground of the Demeter Jungle he was back on the Jabin. He ran his left hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh. Sometimes the dream of that engagement with the Green Army would come to him and he felt a sense of amazement that he had even survived. He had stayed behind and was prepared to sacrifice himself in order for his Marines to make it out of there alive. In the end it was not needed, as General Sano was able to get the Greens to call off the assault and save him and his Marines but not before he had killed that one last faceless enemy soldier. He was still rewarded for his actions, for getting his troops into cover and fairly safe from enemy fire he had been awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

"I'm going to tell you Barron it's a fine morning. I'm now realizing just how much I love having my freedom back. Not to change the subject but I must say Lieutenant; you talk a lot when you're sleeping. ," Marcellus Britt commented from his lower bunk on the opposite side of the room.

"Do you ever stop making smartass comments?" Barron asked as he climbed out of his top bunk and planted his feet on the metal deck.

"Sometimes, but usually I'm asleep and I don't think it even stops then," Britt said before shooting Barron with an annoyingly smug look as if proud of himself.

"Where's Malka?" Barron asked, not wanting to get into an argument with Britt. With the way that hard-as-a-rock bed felt he was not in the mood to deal with the thief handcuffed to the bunk across the room from him.

"She went to get that new toy boy of hers', damn shame she's trading down when she can have me."

"In your dreams Britt, you're just not her type."

"Oh Lt. Barron, that is such a matter of opinion. What would your woman say?"

"No woman in my life, I have no time for one and besides I have a nice thing going as a bachelor."

"Spoken like a true man who cannot get a woman to date him, do you know how many marriage proposals I've had since I got locked up?"

"Britt, I neither know nor care though I'm sure you'll tell me anyway."

"Seventeen proposals, it seems women really got for a bad boy like me. Still, after this I'm going to be a free man. Like I said earlier it's a fine morning!"

"Don't say it's a fine morning again or I'll shoot you," Barron said as he pulled off his shirt and replaced it with a gray Colonial Marines shirt.

"Whatever you say Barron," Britt said as he held up his hands in mock surrender.

Barron walked over to the punching bag and began to hammer away at it with a variety of kicks and punches. He had to admit, Marcellus Britt was giving him plenty of ammo to make his sparring session with the punching bag more intense than it normally would have been.

"You know Barron, it's a shame you shaved that beard of yours off. I would bet a thousand cubits that you were nicknamed 'Lt. Babyface' when you were in the Marines," Britt said as he moved to lie back on his rack and pulled the privacy curtain.

'Gods, I hate that nickname!' Barron said to himself as he landed a perfectly-placed left hook to the side of the bag.

_**Five Hours and Thirty-Six Minutes Later:**_

_**Erebus Belt, SLA Base:**_

"This is Station 477 to unidentified vessel, identify yourself immediately or be destroyed," the woman's voice said as soon as the _Jabin _was in DRADIS range.

"Station 477 this is the transport shuttle Jabin, we're here on behalf of the Basileus with a shipment of weapons," Bowman said to the woman who had just threatened to destroy them.

"If that's the truth then provide the code phrase to confirm your identity."

Tolan walked over to the pilot's station where he could be heard by the woman on the other end of the conversation, "I got one rule: never go to bed without making a profit."

Everyone on the bridge seemed to hold their breath as they waited for a response. Nobody knew if the code would grant them access or get them shot down. It was a space of only five seconds but it seemed to go on forever.

"Identity confirmed. You will be docking in Shuttle Bay Five. I'll plot your course there in a moment, hold position until then," the woman said before disconnecting the connection.

"What rule is that from?" Bowman asked.

"Aunt Lydia's Rule Number Five, the first four involve dealing with family," Tolan said before walking back to the captain's chair and taking a seat.

"I can only imagine what your life was like on Canceron sir," Bowman said.

"Trust me Major, there was a rarely a dull moment for me growing up," Tolan said though his voice seemed to indicate his mind was not completely focused on the present.

The console in front of Bowman beeped with a message, it was the flight path needed to navigate the area around the base and towards their respective shuttle bay. Bowman could not help but wonder what would happen to them if they went to the wrong one. He felt a chill run down his spine. He was going into a situation he had never prepared for mentally, and even if he had tried there was no guarantee that it would have worked. He was about to pilot this shuttle into the main base of a terrorist organization that seemed to have allied itself with a pirate group judging by the many armored ships that were patrolling around the base. He looked at the insignias emblazoned on the ships and he realized why his brain processed them as pirates, these were the ships of the Erebea. The rouge military faction that used to be a part of Tauron's military until they rejected in the Articles of Colonization during the Cylon War.

Tolan watched the shuttle begin to make its way to a shuttle bay that opened up on the side of the base, "All hands, we will be docking on the SLA base shortly."

Slowly the _Jabin_, under the control of Bowman, edged slowly towards the opened shuttle bay. As the nose passed through the open hatchway it became bathed in light from several high powered electric lights embedded into the ceiling. The shuttle made a smooth landing onto the deck of the shuttle bay. Once down the hatch closed behind it and the shuttle bay began to fill with atmosphere. Nobody inside made a move until a mechanical-sounding voice came over the loudspeakers announcing that the room had been pressurized and was safe to enter.

"Bowman and Malka, the two of you are coming with me," Tolan said as he got out of his chair and stretched his legs. He waited as Ensign Zayre relieved Bowman before saying, "Mr. Zayre please let Lieutenant Barron know that he is in charge until I return."

The three made their way to the airlock and when it opened they saw that a set of stairs had been moved in place for them to use. Standing at the foot of the stairs were two women in Erebea uniforms.

"Any idea who they are?" Bowman whispered to Malka.

"Fill you in later, just walk," Malka whispered back before Tolan looked back at them with a look that made it clear they needed to stop.

When they reached the bottom of the stair way the two women moved in closer, each holding a hand over their respective holsters.

"My name is Isabelle Candela and the woman beside me is Anne Hildred, we're with the Erebea. General Sano and Admiral Renoir would like to have a word with you," Candela said with a motion of her free hand towards a nearby doorway.

"I'm Commander Scott Tolan; with me are Major Artimus Bowman and Lieutenant Galit Malka. We'll be happy to meet with General Sano and Admiral Renoir," Tolan said as he motioned for the women to proceed.

None of the group spoke as they followed the two women through the winding corridors of what was officially known as 'Station 477', they eventually found their way to an elevator.

"This leads us to the top of the station, where General Sano's quarters are located. There's a conference room where he and Admiral Renoir are waiting for you," Hildred said as she pressed a button to summon the elevator. A moment later the doors opened and the women waited as their three guests stepped onboard.

A few minutes later the elevator had reached its location and the party stepped into a corridor that would lead them to the suites that made up the upper-most level of the station. It was here where the most senior personnel of the facility would have stayed at when this was still a research station.

The two women opened the double doors and the group walked in. Sano and Renoir were standing by a large conference table with several sets of papers strewn about its surface.

"Commander Tolan, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," Sano said as he walked up and shook Tolan's hand.

"A pleasure General, may I also introduce you to Major Artimus Bowman and Lieutenant Galit Malka," Tolan stepped aside and let Sano shake hands with Bowman and Malka.

"This is a pleasant surprise, I take it your associate was unaware of your arrival," Renoir said with a thinly-veiled skepticism in his voice.

"Miss Aperlae did not know that my family's second shipment was to you. It was a last-minute addition to the deal," Tolan said as he tried to cover for the unexpected arrival of Lieutenant Myra Aperlae.

"I hope this will not cost us more money than previously arranged," Sano said.

"This is a good-faith present from the Basileus. If you don't mind me asking, where can I find Lt. Aperlae and the rest of her team?" Tolan asked, wanting to get a word in with the woman who may have already caused a serious hiccup in the rescue mission.

"Their ship, the _Zaniah_, is docked in Shuttle Bay Three. They were supposed to leave as soon as the weapons were unloaded and expected but they've had trouble with their FTL drive and are in the process of repairing it," Sano said as he consulted a note that was laying on the table.

"General Sano, Admiral Renoir, my people are unloading the weapons as we speak. When they're done I will let you know so you can personally inspect them," Tolan said as he once again shook hands with the two men and left the room with Bowman and Malka in tow.

_**Zaniah**_

The heavy transport ship, _Zaniah_ was situated in Shuttle Bay Three with various Colonial Fleet personnel inspecting the ship for any damage. Tolan thought it was odd, but it would at least give the impression that something might be wrong with the ship that would give it trouble leaving the station. A perfect cover for what he was sure their mission was…the rescue of Rachael and Renee Adar.

There was a similar stairway leading to the _Zaniah's_ airlock that they had on the _Jabin_. There were two Marines guarding it, as though the SLA or Erebea would try to take the ship while it was there in the base.

"Halt!" one of the two Marines yelled, throwing his hand up for added effect.

"We're Colonial Fleet officers, you can stop playing 'guard dog' now," Tolan said as he moved closer.

The two Marines then held up their assault rifles pointed them at the group, "My friend told you to 'halt' and you'd better frakking do it," the other Marine said.

"Look at the pips on my friend and I, I am a Commander in the Colonial Fleet and this man here," Tolan said as he gestured to Bowman, "is a Major. We have a higher rank than you so I suggest you put the guns down and show some respect. Am I clear?"

"We're not certain who you are, until we can confirm your identity stay there," the man who originally ordered them to halt said.

"If this keeps up they're going to blow our cover," Malka uttered to Bowman quietly. Even though the shuttle bay was empty there had to be some type of surveillance cameras in place.

"Let them through, they are who they say they are," Myra Aperlae said as she walked down the stairway and past the Marines.

"Lieutenant, I believe we need to have a word or two," Tolan said as he walked up to her.

"Of course, follow me," Aperlae said as she turned to go.

"First things first, you do realize what you need to do…" Tolan said. He could not believe that Aperlae was completely disregarding the fact that he was a superior officer.

"Oh right…" Aperlae said as she came to attention and snapped off a salute.

Tolan returned it before saying, "Please show us to your quarters so we can talk out this situation."

The CO's quarters were nicer than the cabin he had on the _Jabin_, not that it mattered at the moment. Aperlae took a seat at her desk while Tolan and Bowman each took seats. Malka stood there and eyed the MoI lieutenant warily.

"You're not supposed to be here," Aperlae said as she opened a drawer and removed three folders.

"Funny, I can say the same thing about you," Tolan said in response.

"A strange thing happened after you left the Executive Mansion. President Adar had serious doubts about the P.R. fallout from having a group of criminals rescue the President's sister and niece. While you were on the _Valkyrie_ we found ways to slow you down and allow my people to arrive first and undertake the rescue. You should be either still on the _Valkyrie_ or moved to Fort Milledge until I'm done," Aperlae said, showing a sense of brutal honesty.

"You can find a reason to keep the Commander and the Major here locked up, but you have no authority over me," Malka said as she walked up to Aperlae's desk.

"Oh but I do," Aperlae said with a smile as she opened one of the folders, "Galit Malka; you're quite colorful one aren't you?" she said before turning back to Bowman and Tolan to elaborate. "She has a great track record when it comes to...murder."

"What?" Bowman asked immediately.

"Oh yes Major, Malka is a trained assassin who has taken out quite a few targets in the line of duty."

"All sanctioned by the MoI," Malka said matter-of-factly.

"Not all of them, you see the report here from four years ago?"

Malka took the folder and opened it before explaining, "This is the report I wrote after my first assassination, it was after I had eliminated a crime boss on Libran."

"Chester Treadwell was his name, and he had a nice little place on Libran. The city was called Yarborough I believe. Anyway, Miss Malka here managed to set herself up in a loft not far from Treadwell's house and used a high-powered rocket to destroy it; hardly what you'd call subtle. She said in her report that Chester Treadwell was the only person there, am I right?" Aperlae asked.

"Yes, he was the only person in there. My agents on the ground confirmed it for me, we went through every precaution to make sure nobody else was harmed," Malka said as she replayed that day in her mind.

"Of course you did," Aperlae said in a tone that was practically patronizing, "look at those photos that are included in that folder."

Malka did as she was asked by Aperlae and what she saw frightened and sickened her at the same time, among the rubble were multiple bodies. At first she didn't want to believe what these pictures implied but secretly, deep down, she began to realize that her agents could have somehow messed up and caused the murder of innocent people.

"Darlene Treadwell, Maxine Treadwell, Edwin Treadwell, Michelle Treadwell, Spencer Treadwell, and newborn Audrey Treadwell; you not only murdered Chester Treadwell you made it a point to wipe out his entire family. Your friends at the MoI kept you safe from prosecution, but I have to wonder what kind of monster would kill innocent children and feel no remorse about it?" Aperlae said as she made sure her voice became a dagger into dagger into Galit Malka's heart and soul.

"This can't be right…"Malka said to herself.

"You bitch!" Bowman shouted as he stood up and prepared to lunge for Aperlae.

"That'll be enough Major," Tolan said as he reached up and grabbed Bowman's uniform jacket. He threw his XO against the bulkhead and held him in place. Their eyes locked and Tolan mouthed the words 'Not now' to him. Bowman tried to move but Tolan's firm grip held him in place. Once the sudden rush of blood had subsided from Bowman Tolan released his grip and turned back towards Aperlae leaving his XO to straighten up his jacket all the while staring daggers at Aperlae.

"I don't know what you intend to achieve by showing us this file," he explained to Aperlae. "But any effort on your part to stain my opinion of Lieutenant Malka will fail. She has proven herself capable and loyal to me and that's all I need to know.

Aperlae refused to answer his remark

"If that will be all, you're free to go. However if you try to interfere with this rescue mission you will be thrown in the brig and tried for treason. I have friends as well Commander Tolan, don't make me use them," Aperlae said, simply dismissing the commander with a wave of her hand.

None of the three said a word as they exited the transport and made their way back to the Jabin. Galit seemed to be off somewhere else mentally, as though she were in a trance and could not get out of it no matter how hard she tried.

When they had boarded the _Jabin_ Tolan turned to Bowman and Malka, "I don't care what she said back there, we're here on a mission and we will accomplish it. As for you Malka, you can have my quarters if you need time to yourself."

Malka stared at the Commander in an almost threatening way. Malka was the type of person to go on the offensive when she felt vulnerable. Better to take the fight to your enemy than have him come to you. But Tolan was not her enemy. He was merely showing compassion, something she'd had little experience of previously, and she knew it would be unfair of her to throw it back in his face. Suddenly she noticed that Bowman was looking at her also. Silently he pleaded with her to accept and with that she caved in. She simply nodded once in acknowledgement to Tolan before silently walking away.

"That was underhanded of her sir," Bowman said in disgust at the actions of Myra Aperlae. "And her insolence makes my blood boil. Who the frak does she think she is?"

"No arguments from me on that one," Tolan said still looking in the direction of the hatch that Malka had disappeared behind. "You became close to her while we were on the _Valkyrie_, Malka I mean?"

"Uh...I guess so," replied Bowman a little taken back by this sudden reversal of the conversation.

"Why don't you go check on her in a few minutes?"

"Very well sir," Bowman said acting like it was any other order from his CO. Bowman spent a few minutes doing busy work and conversing with Zayre before finally making his way to Tolan's quarters.

Bowman knocked and announced he was coming in. A part of him wanted to do the polite thing and wait to be invited in but he reasoned that such a thing never stopped Galit Malka before in her life and it was only fair that he return the favor.

"Hello Artimus," Malka said as she sat on Tolan's bunk against wall. Her eyes were downcast as though she was trying to make sense of some great mystery and finding herself unable to.

"Artimus!" gasped Bowman in a mock surprised fashion. "I haven't heard you address me by my first name before. It's either been 'Ace' or Major. Mind if I sit down?" Bowman asked. He felt tentative as he explored this new territory he had not been in before. At least with the woman here in this room.

Malka patted the mattress on which she sat. Bowman did as she requested and as he sat down he noticed she seemed grateful for the company. He moved around somewhat to make himself comfortable beside her and when he was still she leaned into him and put her head on his shoulder. Normally being this close to someone made him uncomfortable but there was curious warmth about having Galit be with him like this.

"Tolan thought you might want to talk to someone," Bowman said.

"Did he?" she said. "And why did he send you and not Keene I wonder?"

"I was there at the time," answered Bowman quite poorly. Truth was he would have been disappointed if it was Keene Barron here now with her and not him. As he sat there with her he began to wonder if Tolan had decided to try and play matchmaker with the two of them. It's clear he had opened the door for them.

"Ah!" she uttered playfully. "So you're only here out of convenience, is that it?"

Bowman knew she was toying with him yet again but he nevertheless felt compelled to respond. "I would have come anyway. You seemed upset and I wanted to make sure you were ok." Bowman said the words and wondered where they came from. It was as though the façade he had spent so much time building was starting to crumble away.

"Do you know how many people I've killed during my time with the MoI?" Malka asked as she looked off to some unknown place that only she could see.

"I'm afraid that while you have plenty of information on me, I don't have any on you," Bowman said in an attempt to jokingly tell her 'No'.

"I've shot thirty-eight people since I finished my weapons training. That's thirty-eight lives that I was ordered to end because doing so would make the Colonies a safer place."

"Wow," Bowman said truly stunned before the thought came to his mind, 'That's quite a bit of blood for her to have on her hands. That's the kind of thing that would keep a person up at night.'

"I put an end to their lives and carried out my orders without question because I trusted that it was right. I did not believe for a moment that my superiors would feed me bad information for something as serious as killing a person…" Malka was quiet for a moment when she suddenly sat up straight again and turned to face him as she explained, "I killed innocent people Artimus, how does that change the way the Gods view me? Justice is one thing. It...It makes it easier in some ways to do what you know has to be done. But I swear I've never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it."

Bowman saw that she was starting to get upset and it was more than he could take, "Galit, listen to me," he said as he put his hands to her face to get her attention, "You've done nothing wrong, and if the Gods are real then I'm sure they know what was in your heart. You never intended for those people to be there but that's what fate had in store for them. It sucks I know but that's the way it is. If it weren't you then they would have just sent someone else to do it."

Malka wrapped her arms around him all the while trying desperately not to sob on his shoulder. Bowman wondered if somewhere inside of her mind she was making peace with the revelations that had been made to her by Aperlae.

"Thank you," she said as she pulled away from him and put a hand to his cheek, "you are a good man Artimus."

"Please Galit," he said taking her hand, "I'm just a man like any other."

"Not to me," she said almost in a whisper. She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips.

Bowman did not fight what he was feeling towards her. Unlike on Virgon he wanted this as badly as she did. Staring deeply into her eyes he brushed a stray strand of her hair away from her face. It was his turn to show what he was feeling. He placed both his hands on her face cupping the bottoms of her ears and guided her towards him. They kissed again. It was passionate and powerful yet slow and tender. It was a respectful kiss, a type she reasoned only he could give. Once it was over their heads dropped close together as their hearts beat almost in unison as if calling to one another. They both knew what they wanted but before he could get too carried away Bowman realized there was still something he needed to do. After all, they were in Commander Tolan's quarters.

"What are you doing?" Malka asked as Bowman got off the bed and took his boots off.

"Something to make sure we're not disturbed," Bowman said as he opened the hatch and put his boots outside of it. A man such as Scott Tolan would recognize what it meant and give the people inside time to go about their business.

_**Jabin, Corridor known as 'Broadway',**_

Tolan walked by his quarters when he saw a sight he had not expected. There by the hatch was a pair of boots.

"You're going all out to comfort her aren't you Bowman," Tolan said as he walked away before he could start laughing. "I'm sure this is what they call above and beyond the call of duty."

He had some things he could do to pass the time by; the growl of his stomach was enough of a hint as to what he should do first. A trip to the mess was in order, after which he would watch as Petty Officer Robert Imlay supervised the Marines in their offloading of the weapons that they had delivered. He would have to instruct Imlay to have the Marines take their time since right now half of his rescue team was being 'comforted' by his XO.

"Commander Tolan," Keene Barron said as he walked up to Tolan.

"Mr. Barron, what can I do for you?" Tolan asked as he tried to make sure he was not leaving Barron behind.

"I was wondering if Galit gave you any indication as to when she wants to start the rescue mission."

Tolan shook his head, "To be honest with you I have no idea yet, but hopefully she'll be ready by the time my people are done unloading these weapons."

Tolan had his doubts as to how quickly Galit Malka would be ready after having that bombshell dropped on her by Myra Aperlae. It was clear the revelation had devastated her, but the question was just how badly had it gotten to her? He began to feel relieved that Bowman was there to help get her over this; though he could not help but laugh at the lengths his XO was going to make that mission a success.

Then there was the matter of Myra Aperlae. The stunt she had pulled caused an anger to pulse through him. Even though Galit was her main target she had still managed to get under his skin as well. When this was over there would be a reckoning of some sort. He would not kill her, but he would wait until the moment was right and when that day came he would stop her ascension up the ranks of the Colonial Fleet.


	8. Chapter 8: On the Trail

_**Chapter Eight: On the Trail**_

_**CAPRICA CITY, CAPRICA**_

Spencer Steen, news reporter for the Caprica City Times, sat in one of the booths in the MoonCricket Grille. He checked his watch again to make sure the person meeting him was going to show up. It had been almost fifteen minutes since the time they had agreed upon and yet nobody had showed up to join him. He looked out the window at the people who walked by the restaurant's windows seemingly off in their own worlds and not even caring about what was going on around them. Cars were jockeying for position on the street as though the drivers could not stand the thought of being behind the car that was in front of them. Colonial society hummed along like a well-oiled machine though the people seemed oblivious to the world around them, perhaps was a metaphor of the society.

He exhaled a frustrated breath and took a sip of the water the waitress had brought him. He closed his eyes and thought of the things he could be doing right now, he had several stories he had been assigned that were going to have to be completed before the evening's deadline. He heard someone sitting down on the opposite side of the table; he turned and saw who it was.

"Here I was thinking you were going to stand me up," Steen said teasingly.

"You should know by now that while I may be late at times, I never stand a person up," Andrea Graystone said as she smiled at him.

"You do realize that's part of the reason we broke up," Steen reminded her. Steen and Andrea had an off and on relationship that went back almost three years. It was more casual for Andrea than Steen would have liked to admit. She often referred to them as being 'friends with benefits', a title he loathed. The last time they had ended things Steen reminded her that if she ever needed him for anything to just let him know. This meeting was her calling in that promised favor from some time ago.

"Here I was thinking it was because I wasn't the type to commit," Graystone said with a gentle laugh as though it was an ongoing joke between the two of them.

"Well Andie, what is it I can do for you?" Steen asked. He would have loved to have talked more to her but they had a lunch to eat and he had to get back to the Bentham Tower where the Caprica City Times was headquartered at.

"There's a doctor who has come into our lives recently. His name is Bryce Sabus," Graystone said as she wondered if the last name 'Sabus' would register.

"Sabus! Well aren't you on your way up the social ladder. I see the stigma of being a Graystone still isn't a hindrance to you. Bryce Sabus is a landmark in the upper echelons of Caprican society. His DNA can be traced back to the Royal family of Sabus to the days before we gave in to democracy and all that wonderful stuff. Anyway, why so interested in finding out his life story?" Steen asked as his curiosity now became piqued.

"I think he's got some plan for Emily that I am not sure of yet. Something about him just strikes me as being well…dangerous, there's something he's up to that he's keeping hidden. I don't want anything to happen to my sister, she's suffered enough already with the miscarriage."

"How is Em'?" asked Steen.

"She's coping…just! That's why I am so worried about her and this Sabus guy."

"I'll look into it; give me a couple of days to see what I can find. I promise if there's something going on here with Sabus I'll discover it."

Andrea Graystone leaned over the table and kissed Steen on the cheek, "Spencer, even though it didn't work with us you're still a hell of a guy."

"Flattery will get you everywhere Andie," he replied.

_**JABIN: TOLAN'S QUARTERS**_

Artimus Bowman had slept for only half an hour but the rest it offered felt like he had been asleep for days. As he began to stir in the bunk he realized the pressure that had been pushing down on his right shoulder whilst he was asleep had gone. He looked down and saw through tired eyes that Galit was no longer laying there.

He sat up and looked around the room. Galit was standing at the bottom of the bunk getting dressed. She was pulling her trousers up to her waist and began to fasten them up when she noticed he was awake. Standing there in just her trousers and sports bra she looked down at him and grinned devilishly as she kicked the bottom of the bunk.

"On your feet Major!" she boomed like a drill Sergeant. "Rise and shine. We are in an enemy stronghold after all."

She stood there with her hands on her hips waiting for his response. He grinned lazily as he tossed the blanket aside and dragged his naked form up off the bunk before reaching down for the mess of clothing on the floor. Galit stood there watching him as proceeded to dress from the waist down.

"Hmm," she murmured cheekily to which Bowman could not ignore.

"What?" he asked with a hint of playful annoyance.

"That just answered a few questions that's all," she said.

"Like what?"

"About which type of pilot makes the better lover; Viper pilots or Raptor pilots."

"And?" he asked knowing full well that she was once again toying with him.

"Oh it's no competition. But I'm not telling you."

"Maybe I will just torture you for the information?" he said as he walked up to her and pulled her close to him. She started to giggle incessantly.

"Oh I would like to see that. No, I would pay to see that but first I should tell you that I've been trained in counter interrogation. I'm a lot tougher than I look."

"Yeah I bet," he said. No sooner had the words left his mouth he found himself being thrown down onto the bunk, Galit's leg having wrapped around the back of his left knee strategically placed to throw him off balance. As he landed she scrambled up on top of him resting on her knees placed either side of him. She took hold of his wrists and held them down as she leaned in and kissed him. "Think Tolan will want his quarters back anytime soon?"

"Oooh, 'Ace'. You flirting with me?" she cooed. "Well sorry flyboy but your wings have just been clipped." She kissed him again. "We got a mission. There's plenty of time for that afterwards."

"Will there be an afterwards?" he asked. It was something he had been wondering ever since he started to fall for her. What was she after from him? Was it just a quick frak or did she want more?

Annoyingly for him she simply grinned as if telling herself a private joke before tapping him on the chest. "Come on, duty calls."

_**JABIN, CARGO HOLD:**_

"Commander, the weapons have been offloaded," Petty Officer Robert Imlay informed Tolan once the Marines had finished unloading the crates of weapons.

"Good work Imlay, I'm sure the SLA monitored the whole thing so they should be here soon to take possession. Have the Marines hide any evidence their weapons are onboard, we don't want to spook these guys," Tolan said to Imlay, who nodded his understanding. "Oh and uh one other thing." Tolan handed him a small brown envelope with what felt like folded up socks in the middle. From a distance it appeared that Tolan was handing Imlay a large bundle of cash. Imlay again nodded as he realized what the Commander was trying to achieve before he went back to the cargo hold with his sock. This had been a last minute thing Tolan had thought of. He was of course supposed to be a corrupt officer in the Colonial Fleet and as such would have to appear to be paying off his subordinates.

"Mr. Tolan, any news on the rescue attempt yet?" Bryon Esmond asked as he walked up to where Tolan stood on the loading ramp leading into the shuttle.

"Nothing yet, I'm just here buying them time to get things organized. That's Malka and Barron's territory, I'm the pack mule that brought them here and the key to getting their feet in the door," Tolan said as he took a sip of coffee.

"How is that?" Esmond asked referring to the coffee.

"I've had better…actually I think I've had much better coffee than this but it gets the job done. As for Barron and Malka, they'll either get the President's sister and niece out of here or die trying," Tolan said.

"You know your aunt sent me along to protect you, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you survive."

Tolan nodded, "I appreciate that, but hopefully it won't be necessary."

_**JABIN, MESS HALL:**_

"I've managed to hack my way into the security cameras for the facility; hold your applause please. The Adars are being kept in a security holding cell on Level Nine, also in that area are a fitness room, swimming pool, pump room, a dining room, and a central living area," Marcellus Britt said as he pointed at the different spots on the schematics he had downloaded and printed.

"Considering how you've acted from the moment you got out of prison, I'm having a hard time imagining you being so helpful," Galit Malka commented, Britt was now talking like he was a professional on the job instead of a sarcasm-filled ex-con.

"From the moment we landed on this station my fate became entwined with yours. I have all the incentive to pull this off, besides it feels good to be back in the game," Britt said as he flashed Malka a smile before looking back at the plans.

"What about Aperlae and her team?" Keene Barron asked. He looked and saw Malka flinch at the mention of Lt. Myra Aperlae, the Colonial Fleet officer was sent here as part of an 'official' rescue group that seemed poised to attempt the rescue as well.

"We'll worry about her when and if the situation arises. She may have the official support of the President but we have a worlds-class thief here who can get us into anywhere," Malka said. When she had accompanied Commander Scott Tolan and Major Artimus Bowman into the conference room to meet General Jonas Sano and Admiral Renoir she had taken with her a 'swipe drive' that was capable of copying data through any computer access port via a wireless router. There was such a computer in the room and she had attached the drive to the computer and used it to access the station's plans as well as other information being stored on there.

"Based on what I've seen so far, I can alter some of the Marine fatigues to match the SLA uniforms. I picked up the material while I was on Canceron, while Britt starts his infiltration we can disguise ourselves as SLA soldiers and work our way towards the security room. Did Malka get you everything you need?" Barron asked.

"I got him everything he needs Keene, he'll be able to get past any security measures that have been put in place," Malka said before Britt had a chance to respond, something that caused him to frown longingly as Malka was certain he had some long winded comedic speech ready and had thus been thwarted by her interjection.

"In that case may I suggest we start getting what we need together and begin in forty-five minutes to an hour from now," Barron said. Even though technically Malka was in charge of the mission he had more experience in leading an operation due to his time in the Colonial Marines.

_**JABIN, TOLAN'S QUARTERS:**_

Bowman walked in and closed the hatch behind him; Tolan was sitting at his desk going over some paperwork.

"Commander, I'd like to have a word with you."

Tolan stopped and looked up at Bowman, "Don't tell me the two of you put the desk to 'good use' as well."

Like an insolent schoolboy standing before the Principal, Artimus Bowman's cheeks reddened slightly.

"About that sir, it just kind of…"

"Let me guess, it got out of hand and one thing led to another and the next thing you're know firing off your ammunition," Tolan said with a laugh as Bowman began to turn a deeper shade of red from embarrassment.

"Pretty much, I just wanted to thank you for being discreet about what happened."

"Yeah, I thought it would keep you safe from reprisals from the other crew if they knew you were sleeping with a MoI agent during a sensitive rescue mission."

"When you put it like that I sound like a jackass don't I?"

"Well you're not, I had a feeling there was more to your relationship with our femme fatale. You do realize I didn't get to Commander on my handsome features alone, I do have a bit of an eye for observation."

"Understood, I also thought you should know that this will not compromise my ability to carry out the mission."

"Now that I was a bit concerned with, how'd you guess?"

"Well Commander you're not the only one with an eye for observation."

"Indeed, well if I have your word then that puts my fears at ease. Now it's just a matter of our friends getting their mission done so we can get out of here safely and I can get back home to my wife."

"You have a wife, sir?" Bowman began, wanting to hide the fact that he knew about Emily Tolan.

"This ring isn't for show," Tolan said as he pointed to the white gold ring on his ring finger, "Though it does have a magical power to keep most of my ex-girlfriends away from me."

"May I ask about her?" Bowman asked.

"Her name is Emily; she's a Caprican like you are. She's twenty-four, and we've been married for four years now."

'She's almost the same age as Brooke,' Bowman thought to himself as he tried to force her from his mind.

"She had a miscarriage not long before I was asked to lead this mission; she's at her family's vacation home in Caprica City recovering. She lost a lot of blood, and to be honest with you we could have lost her too."

Bowman was momentarily stunned by the openness Tolan was showing him. This ran counter to the image he had held of him and the public persona that he had become used to in this short time.

"I'm surprised you didn't try to get emergency leave," Bowman said as he finally found something to say.

"Tried to but instead it was denied. I had wondered why until I made a visit to Caprica City to take care of a personal matter and found myself summoned to the Executive Mansion."

"You've had this on your mind the whole time then," Bowman said though it was mainly to himself.

"That's the thing about being in command Artimus," Tolan began before stopping to add, "You have to project an image of strength, those around you need to know that you're unflappable in the face of adversity."

"Command is a reward and a challenge all of its own," Bowman said remembering his time on the _Daedalus_ and just recently his time as CAG of the _Valkyrie_.

"Yeah it's a double-edged sword alright, but I wouldn't trade it though. Being an officer in the Colonial Fleet beats what I could be doing back home on Canceron."

"The Basileus?" Bowman asked though he knew the answer.

"Yep, the 'family business' is something I want no part of. Maybe at one time I would have but when I was twelve I saw just what the drawbacks were to that kind of life."

"What happened?"

"Something bad, let's just put this way, my mom cried at the thought of losing me to the world of the Basileus. There's no defense against that," Tolan said as he looked past Bowman as though a scene from long ago was playing in the background. Tolan looked up at Bowman. The two of them were sharing an open moment with one another, the first such moment they'd had like this since the start of the mission. "Sit down Major," said Tolan kicking out a second chair. Bowman took the seat and sat beside Tolan. "You and I got off to a bad start don't you agree?"

"I guess that would be the sum of it," said Bowman replaying their first meeting in Tolan's quarters aboard the _Valkyrie_.

"Well I have my share of blame on that matter but I think you have yours too. We've both been openly hostile to one another from the start when in fact I see a lot of myself in you. We are both beasts of burden to other people. The difference is you've been carrying around with you what happened on the Daedalus for so long that you don't know how not to. It could have happened to anyone."

"But it happened to me," said Bowman. "A pilot died because I let myself go. I stopped holding back and someone else paid the price. Someone I was close to." Tolan didn't ask but Bowman felt compelled to explain. "We were the best Raptor pilots in our year at the Academy. The best pilots always form a display team for the graduation ceremony from our first tour aboard the _Daedalus_. I wanted to beat the Viper guys who were doing their own display and the only way to do that in a Raptor was the FTL Crossover. Three Raptors burst towards one another. Two of them engage their FTLs at the last second making it look like they have merged with the leader. We had practiced it so many times and nothing had gone wrong. I knew it was dangerous but we were so confident and then the night before the big display we went out for a dry run. One of the FTLs failed and my Raptor went straight into Danielle's. My port wing tore through her cockpit like it was made of paper."

"Is that why you're so afraid to let go of things?"

"Every time I do something bad happens. I feel like my whole life is spent walking a tightrope."

"I can relate to that believe me," said Tolan. "So if that's the case why are you letting go when it comes to Malka?"

"I have no idea sir and that's the Gods honest truth. I guess she appeals to a side of me that's been buried for a long time. Not to change the subject, but you did change the sheets on your mattress…right?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. I may live dangerously at times, but I don't live that dangerously!"

_**FIFTY-ONE MINUTES LATER:**_

_**ACCESS CORRIDOR LEVEL SIX, SLA BASE:**_

Marcellus Britt, Keene Barron, and Galit Malka looked to make sure nobody was in the area. This was it, the moment that they would begin the rescue attempt. Britt took a calming breath, Barron balled his fist repeatedly like he was preparing for a fight, and Malka closed her eyes and seemed to be mouthing a silent prayer.

"Cameras have been disabled, and the base is on the evening patrols so patrol traffic should be light," Malka said to the two men who simply nodded.

"You two clean up well in uniform, just make sure you don't wear those when we leave here," Britt said as he opened the vent cover that would take him into the air duct system of the base.

"Your ear bud will keep you in communication with us the whole time, and you have our electronic countermeasure kit to help you get past any of the security measures that have been put in effect. Anything happens let us know and we'll head to where you are and do what we can," Malka said.

Britt nodded, "Right, I'll see you two on Level Nine."

Malka and Barron watched as he entered the vent and lifted the grate back up onto the wall. Malka watched as Barron got down on one knee and began to screw the grate back into place with a small screwdriver.

"Done, let's start our 'patrol' Galit," Barron said as he got up and smoothed out his uniform.

"Shouldn't we start using our aliases here?" Malka said as she held up her fake SLA badge. During the walk to the meeting earlier Galit had used her deft hands to 'borrow' the badges of two SLA troops that she had passed. Britt had used them as the bases for two forged id badges that would pass inspection.

"No, I can't believe the one Britt gave me," Barron said as he held up his badge with the name 'Eckley Edsall' emblazoned on it.

"It's not bad; you look like an 'Eckley'…" Malka said as she tried her best to not laugh. Looking at the furious face on Barron she knew this alias was going to offer her a lifetime of ammunition to use in teasing her colleague.

"Live it up," Barron said as he lifted her id badge, "Jan Viessmann."

"I suppose it was the best he could come up with in the short time we had," Malka said in an attempt to come up with an explanation.

"Sure, and it's in no way his attempt at a little payback for catching him in the first place."

"'Eckley Edsall' you had better start being nice!" Malka said teasingly.

"I'm already starting to hate the name," Barron muttered, "How did your conference go with Major Bowman?"

"It went remarkably well, I think him and I were able to work out our differences in a way that was beneficial to both of us."

"You know that if you two try a relationship it won't work," Barron said.

"Why is that?"

"Listen 'Jan'," Barron said as he threw in her alias name, "The world outside these walls is an illusion; it's not really there for us. We're ghosts. There's not really a life out there for Major Artimus Xavier Bowman and MoI Lieutenant Galit Shiri Malka."

"I don't know, we could always have a chance for a normal life," Malka said.

"Oh yeah, us in the Ministry of Intelligence remember what a 'normal' life was."

"Keene, one day you will fall in love with a woman and it will change the way you look at life."

"Maybe, but for now my romantic encounters tend to end with 'Thanks for the fling, the sex was great' and that tends to be it," Barron said with a shrug of the shoulders. "Maybe you two should just leave it at that? I'm only saying this to you because I am your friend."

"Well we will see what happens wont we Eckley?" she teased before walking off to start her 'patrol'.

_**SLA BASE, VENTILLATION SHAFT:**_

Britt listened to the conversation taking place, there was no way to turn the ear bud off so he had no say in the matter, and just shook his head at the two MoI officers having their conversation.

Barron had made sense with some of his points, but it seemed Malka might have a different view. Perhaps Bowman was having more of an effect on her than others could have realized.

'Lucky bastard', he thought to himself as he slinked his way through the ventilation shaft. Ahead of him the shaft forked and he had to decide if he would go to the left or right. He had a wrist computer display on the right wrist of his black infiltration suit. He hit a few buttons and the schematics of the base popped up. He studied them and realized he would need to go right.

"If you two would stop chatting about Malka's love life I might be able to get some work done…just saying," Britt said, though really he was just hoping to get a rise out of Barron and Malka.

"Alright Mr. Britt, we'll stick to essential chatter then. Would hate to mess up that legendary concentration of yours," Malka said.

_**JABIN, CREWS MESS:**_

The Marines were in the Cargo Hold in the middle of their daily physical training. Tolan was in his quarters still, while Bryon Esmond stood near the hatch as a silent watcher ready to protect the Commander at a moment's notice.

Bowman felt different after his conversation with Tolan, it was a side of the CO that he did not think even existed. Yet, he seemed like a genuinely likeable guy in a way.

His stomach dictated that he get some food while he had the chance. He walked into the Mess to find Ensign Morris Zayre and Petty Officer First Class Robert Imlay sitting at a table talking over a pair of MREs.

"Mind if the XO joins you Chief?" Bowman asked Imlay.

"Sir, I'm not a Chief and you know it," Imlay said with laugh.

"Not officially, but here on the _Jabin_ you qualify. Tell you what, I'll make a deal with you Imlay; get me a cup of black coffee and I promise that if I ever make Commander and get my own Battlestar I'll have you as my Deck Chief."

"Fair enough sir, take a seat. I was telling Zayre about my time working on hangar decks."

Bowman nodded and went off to fix himself a serving of fleet noodles and some red sauce that he was not even sure about the contents of. When he returned there was a Styrofoam cup of hot black coffee waiting for him, courtesy he was sure of Petty Officer Imlay.

"I'm there on the _Vengeance_ when a Type III Devastator missile begins its launch sequence. People are running around trying to get it to stop and the Chief tells me to join in and try to stop it although his exact words were somewhere along the lines of 'get your frakking ass in gear before its vaporized!'. I take the cover off of the control panel and I see a set of colored wires, and I have no idea which to pull. I call out to one of the guys to find me a manual and the Chief says that there's no time for that and to just pull a wire. I reached in there and I just picked a color and pulled," Imlay said as he told the story to Bowman and Zayre.

"I'll bite, what color did you pull?" Zayre asked.

"The red one of course, damn lucky it happened that way," Imlay said with a proud smile on his face.

"Of course, it's always the red wire!" Bowman exclaimed before taking a bite of the noodles he had heated up.

"Sometimes you just get lucky, what can I say?" Imlay said before he became quiet for a moment before adding, "I'd never been more scared before in my life, apart from the time my buddies in high school convinced me to explore an abandoned mental hospital with them..."

"What was so bad about the hospital?" Bowman asked.

"Besides the fact that it was a facility for the criminally insane, it'd been abandoned for so long that parts of the floors were missing. There were just these gaping holes, and here we were trying to navigate this huge building with just flashlights," Imlay said as the two officers sitting with him nodded in understanding.

_**ZANIAH: **_

"We're beginning the extraction mission, I'll keep you updated as we make progress," the voice of First Lieutenant Daniel Fletcher "Dog" Smith said as him and the Marines he commanded began their rescue mission to free Renee and Rachael Adar.

"You ready for this Dog?" Sergeant Bernard Max "Smoke" Strean asked. The group of five was in the cargo hold of the Zaniah waiting for the word to leave. Along with Smith and Streen was Lance Corporal Frances Blackburn. Following them were two members from the Colonial Department of Justice's Hostage Rescue Squad, Maurice Charbonnet and Malcolm Winfield.

"You guys keep us safe and we'll handle the rest," Charbonnet said as he checked over his rifle. The team was equipped with both lethal and non-lethal ammunition, it was hoped that they would be able to pull the rescue off without having to resort to lethal means. The non-lethal ammunition was designed to incapacitate quickly but that was not always the case.

"Right, strap your gear on and let's get moving," Smith said as he pressed the button to open the outer cargo bay door. They were dressed in SLA uniforms, much like the other team that they had been told to be on the lookout for.

_**ZANIAH, BRIDGE:**_

"The team has left the cargo bay and are proceeding into the base," Ensign Nolan Kindell announced from his position at the ship's helm.

"Very good, let's hope they can make short work of this mission," Lieutenant Myra Aperlae said as she leaned back in the captain's chair situated in the center of the bridge.

'What are you up to Tolan?' she asked herself as she tried to put herself into the mind of the man she viewed as her opponent. She was always a competitive person; whoever she was up against she hated and did all she could do to ensure that person lost. It had served her well during her time at Aquaria Military Academy but in the Colonial Fleet it could be a detriment to her. When all this was put into perspective, it became clear why she had earned the nickname "Cut-Throat Bitch."

"How do I keep you here while I escape?" Aperlae said softly as she turned the chair around in circles. A few more turns of the chair and she had the perfect idea for escape, and it would keep Tolan here…perhaps permanently…

"Mr. Kindell, when we receive word that the hostages have been rescued I want you to get me in touch with General Sano," Aperlae said as she began to smile at the idea that had come to her, it was perfect in its simplicity and would make sure that both Admiral Corman and President Adar would not have to worry about cleaning up the mess of having had both her and Tolan here on the SLA base trying to pull off the same mission.

_**SLA BASE, LEVEL SEVEN:**_

"So far so good," Malka said to Keene Barron as they rounded the corner to take down the corridor to the closest stairway to Level Eight.

"Our luck has held so far, but there's no telling how much longer it'll last," Barron said as they passed a pair of SLA soldiers who simply nodded at them as the passed.

"I'm on Level Eight now, I just bypassed a set of laser sensors and a few other security measures," Britt said before going quiet once again.

"He's not been very talkative so far," Malka noted.

"Well considering he is in a ventilation system that is not for the faint of heart, and having to keep an eye out for whatever security devices may be in place, yeah I can see why he wouldn't want to have a conversation with us," Barron said and stifled a laugh that threatened to come out of his mouth.

"It's not Level Seven here that bothers me, it's a matter of how we get through Level Eight to Level Nine," Malka said. In truth she expected security to be light, but getting through to where the Adars were being kept could prove decidedly different.

"I think we'll be alright, just keep remembering that we're bona fide SLA members…unless Britt didn't take care of that part," Barron said before he realized that Britt could hear what they were saying.

"Give me credit Barron I have all of our asses covered on this," Britt responded with a jeer. "I mean, mine and the lovely Lieutenant Malka's are sufficiently covered anyway."

_**SLA BASE, LEVEL SIX, MAIN HUB:**_

The rescue team entered the main terminus on Level Six where all of the corridors merged into a central hub. Smith did a mental check of the plans and looked over a map that was nearby on the wall; thankfully it matched up to what he had in his mind.

"There should be a freight elevator down Corridor Five, we can take that down to Level Nine and that should put us close to the Security Room where our targets are located," Smith said to the other four in his group.

"When we get to Level Nine do we switch over to lethal force?" Strean asked.

"I believe we should save that for the return trip, just in case our cover is blown. For now I think we should stick to non-lethal means and just keep the people we render unconscious out of sight," Charbonnet said as he stretched and seemed to work out a kink in his shoulder.

"I agree, for now we'll use non-lethal force but if we are fired upon we will switch to lethal means and use them appropriately," Smith said as he began to head down Corridor Five with the others following him.

_**JABIN:**_

"Commander Tolan, there's a call coming in for you from Lt. Aperlae," Ensign Morris Zayre said as he poked his head through the hatch of the Commander's Quarters.

"Route it through to here," Tolan said and a few moments later after Zayre left he heard the phone on his desk begin to ring.

Tolan picked it up and said, "Hello Lt. Aperlae, to what do I owe this distinct pleasure?"

"Well Commander, I know that you have people attempting this rescue at the same time as my team. Let's not be coy about this little fact. Let's just say that considering present circumstances I'm willing to offer you a deal." Aperlae's voice sounded pleasant enough, though to Tolan there had to be something else going on.

"I'm listening...Lieutenant," Tolan said as he rubbed his temples with his free hand.

"Whichever team gets there first let's the other team know somehow, then when both of our ships are away from the base we send word to the Tenth and Fifteenth Fleets to jump in and begin their assaults. That way there is no risk of either of us being a victim of friendly fire. In fact, I'm even willing to let you be the one to give the order…as a sign of good faith on my part."

Tolan thought about it briefly before responding, "You have a deal Miss Aperlae; we'll let our teams know somehow so that way there won't be any 'incidents' between them."

"Thank you Commander, I knew you would be a reasonable man," Aperlae said before she ended the call.

Tolan picked up the phone and hit the button to connect him to Zayre's location at the piloting console.

"This is Zayre," the ensign said as he picked up the receiver.

"Mr. Zayre, this is Tolan. I need you to pass a word along to our friends on the mission to be on the look out for Aperlae's team. If they encounter them make sure to keep their guard up and don't give them a chance to shoot them in the back," Tolan said and put the phone back on its base once the call was over. There was something about this that just felt wrong to him, and he realized that no matter how hard he may try to talk himself out of it the truth was that he did not have the least bit of trust in Myra Aperlae.

_**ZANIAH:**_

"This is Smith," Lt. Daniel Smith said once Aperlae had a connection to his headset.

"Smith, this is Lt. Aperlae. I just received word that Tolan's team is now on their way now to rescue the President's niece and nephew. If you encounter them I want you to remember that they are fugitives from justice and will need to be treated as criminals. I have spoken to Admiral Corman and President Adar and both have authorized the use of deadly force in dealing with these people. In other words, don't hesitate to shoot to kill. Understood?" Aperlae smiled at the thought of what she was going to do. This was only part of her plan, the other part would involve General Sano once the Adars were onboard her ship and away from the station. In truth there had been no such order fro either Corman or Adar, but Aperlae thought it was a quick and easy way to eliminate the problem that she knew Tolan and his group would become if they were allowed to leave this base alive.

"Understood," Smith said simply before reaching up to the ear piece attached to his headset and disconnecting the call from Aperlae. A part of him wondered what this other team had done to earn the wrath of both Admiral Peter Corman and President Richard Adar, but whatever it was did not carry any weight on their mission. They were here to conduct a rescue, and he would follow his orders to the letter.

"Is that freight elevator here yet?" Smith asked Strean. There was a sudden clunking sound from behind a set of grey scissor doors. Strean signaled to Smith with a slight nod once the doors had opened and the group began to board.

Once inside Smith pushed the button and the elevator began its descent towards Level Nine, "Alright people switch over to standard ammunition, I just received word that a group of fugitives have begun an attempt to get to the Adars before we have a chance to. We are ordered to shoot first and ask questions later if we encounter this other group. They're probably armed so don't hesitate to shoot to kill."

Not another word was spoken as the five began to trade out their non-lethal ammunition for the real thing. A moment later the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.

'Showtime,' Smith thought as he took the first step out into the corridor. The first four including Smith stepped out with weapons poised. They had formed into a two-by-two cover formation with Strean bringing up the rear.

_**SLA BASE, LEVEL EIGHT:**_

"Hey you guys, stop right there!" a voice called out to Barron and Malka. Two soldiers in SLA uniform walked towards them.

"Just play it cool, no need to blow our cover," Barron whispered to Malka who nodded slightly in acknowledgement. She was the very picture of 'cool'. This was the world she lived in and relished.

"Are the two of you trying to run a marathon or something?" the first soldier asked when he got close enough to talk to them without shouting. "The name's Hale. This is Kirk Lewis, I was told there would be some new soldiers down here on patrol because of the food poisoning outbreak," Hale said as he shook hands with both Barron and Malka.

"Yeah it was a damn shame about that one. I know Wasmuth was doing pretty badly the last I checked," Lewis said before asking, "Do either of you know him?"

"Well we're still becoming acclimated to being here on the base, we were on Scorpia training at some of the old Green Army camps," Malka bluffed, hoping it would work.

"I heard about those; maggots and vines for breakfast. Coupled with the odd STI from the tribal women," jeered Lewis obnoxiously. "So you two must have come in on that transport last week. Is this your first time patrolling Level Nine?"

"Afraid so, we've been guarding the hangar bays since we got here. With the manpower shortage we were sent here to help out," Barron said.

"Oh yeah, nothing exciting happens with the hangars. It's mainly to get you new guys used to being on the station here. Where on Sagittaron are the two of you from?" Lewis asked.

"I'm from the town of Freedom, about three hundred miles away from the capital," Barron said.

"Is that right, and what about you?" Lewis asked Malka.

"I'm from East Point, have you ever been there?" Malka said.

"Yeah, I went to college there at Culloden University," Lewis said with a smile as though he was remembering something fond from the past.

A panicked voice crackled in Malka and Barron's headsets.

"Malka; there is no Culloden University in East Point, there's a Colquitt University in the city," Britt said from his spot in the ventilation shaft. He had been provided a mini computer that allowed him to access the encyclopedic information on the colony of Sagittaron.

"Are you sure about that, I know Colquitt U is located in East Point so you might be mistaken on that one," Malka said with a satisfied smile.

"You're right, sorry about that. It's been a long day here and my mind must have got them mixed up," Lewis said as he checked out the id badges on Malka and Barron's uniform belts.

"Well Eckley Edsall and Jan Viessmann, if you'll follow me I'll get you down to where you need to be on Level Nine," Hale said as he motioned for them to follow him.

"What do you say 'Eckley', let's follow our new friend," Malka said which drew a glare from Barron at the mention of the alias.

They spent fifteen minutes walking the corridors and talking about their pretend lives on Sagittaron. Britt was able to keep them updated on the important information to help them pass as being from the colony. They found a group of four elevators and Lewis pressed the button to summon one of them.

"That's strange," Lewis said as he pressed the button repeatedly.

"What's strange?" Malka asked.

"Well the button is supposed to light up but it's not even doing that. I'm not hearing any of the machinery that moves the elevators, it's like the whole system is not even working," Lewis said as he tried to hide his irritation at what was going on.

Lewis picked up his radio and pressed the button to transmit but all he got was static. He began to pace back and forth trying to raise somebody on the portable wireless set but he finally threw it down the corridor in frustration.

"What do you say we take the stairs?" Malka suggested, they had now wasted almost half an hour and it seemed they were getting nowhere. This was a delay they could not afford but they were also in not in a position to try to speed things along.

"That's my cue; I'll meet you at the entrance to the Security Room. I've put the cameras on a constant loop from Level Nine up to the Hangar Bays, nobody should have a clue what we're up to," Britt said though the transmission was slightly garbled and barely intelligible. Given that Lewis and Hale's wireless set there must have been increased interference in this section.

"Sounds good to me," Barron said and waited for Lewis to lead them to the stairs.

As they walked down the stairs Lewis was beside himself in trying to explain away the glitches that were taking place with the radios and the elevators.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Barron said in an attempt to calm the soldier down.

"I have to worry about it; we have to be concerned about these kinds of malfunctions. It's just not right on a station like this…" Lewis did not get to finish the sentence as Malka fired a tranquilizer dart into his neck as he opened the door to let them onto Level Nine. Before Hale's mind could even register what had happened to his comrade a second dart struck him in the neck and he too fell to the floor.

"Leave them here on the stairwell, he won't be waking up for at least eight hours," Barron told Malka as he helped her move their unconscious bodies of the SLA soldiers who had unwittingly given them access to the level of the station they needed to get to.

"That was easy," Barron said as he let the door close behind him and Malka. When the two looked at the scene in front of them their jaws dropped. The bodies of SLA soldiers littered the floor in front of them. It looked as though a rampaging army had stormed onto the floor and taken out everything in its path.

"Guns…now," Barron said as he pulled out his sidearm and held it up ready to fire at anything that appeared in his direction.

"What the frak happened here?" Malka asked in amazement at the carnage that lay before her.

"Not sure, but let's just get to the Security Room and keep an eye out for hostiles," Barron said as he started moving towards the area of the Security Room.

The two MoI agents made their way slowly across the blood-slicked floors, neither wanting to look at the lifeless forms that seemed to meld with the blood that had flowed from the bodies of them and their comrades.

"There it is," Barron said as he pointed his sidearm towards the door marked 'Security'.

There was noise as a nearby grate flew off of the wall and a black clad form jumped out and onto the floor, nearly slipping on the blood in the process. Startled, Malka and Barron instinctively pointed their weapons in the direction of the sudden arrival.

"For the love of the Gods you two, we're on the same team remember…" Britt said as he found himself on the business end of Malka and Barron's weapons.

"Frak sake Britt! Warn us next time ok?" pleaded Barron fighting to lower his heartbeat.

"I'm sorry guys but…what the frak did you do this for?" asked a horrified Britt looking around at the carnage.

"We didn't do this," Malka said as she holstered her sidearm.

"I-It looks like the whole frakking Cylon War blew through here," Britt said as he took in the sights around him.

"I doubt we'll find any SLA soldiers in here…alive at least. Follow me," Barron said as he walked up and opened the door into the Security room.

"What do you see in there?" Malka asked.

"More of the same, whoever was here before us took no prisoners," Barron said as he looked into the room where only the dead bodies of the SLA soldiers were visible.

"Any sign of the Adars?" Britt asked.

"None," Barron said before motioning for the two to follow him into the room.

"According to the specs there's a holding cell on the far left of the room," Britt said as he pointed to the corridor that was supposed to lead to the holding cell.

The three walked over to the hallway and looked into an open holding cell with a piece of white paper laying on one of the beds.

"What's this?" Malka said as she walked over to the bed and picked up the piece of paper. It simply said, 'Better luck next time.' It was signed by Lt. Myra Aperlae.

'That bitch!" Malka screamed as she balled the note up and threw it across the room.

"What happened?" Barron asked.

"That bitch Aperlae…we got to get back to Tolan ASAP," Malka said and bolted from the room.

"You heard the woman, let's get out of here," Barron said to Britt as he left the room and followed Malka.

_**THIRTEEN MINUTES LATER:**_

_**ZANIAH:**_

Aperlae could barely contain her excitement as Lieutenant Smith made his way to the Zaniah with the two Adar women in tow. This was it, her ticket to glory and a higher rank. When she thought about the outcome she looked at what she had in plan for Tolan and his people. They would simply have to play the part of collateral damage in this case.

"Everything went well I take it?" Aperlae asked once the team was onboard. The cargo bay doors closed behind them and sealed up.

"Went without a hitch, did you get our clearance to leave?" Smith asked.

"Do you really have to ask?"

"Fine, let's get going," Smith said as he helped the Renee and Rachael Adar to a cabin that had been cleared for their use.

A few minutes later the doors to the hangar bay opened and the shuttle left without any incident that would cause the SLA to be suspicious.

"Hold out position and get me General Sano on the phone," Aperlae ordered and a few minutes later she heard the general's voice on the phone.

"Miss Aperlae, what can I do for you?" Sano said with a hint of irritation in his voice.

"I wanted to let you know that Scott Tolan was bought off by Adar to rescue his family from you."

"What the frak are you talking about?" Sano asked.

"Listen to me, I was sent here on a legitimate mission by the Basileus. Tolan was originally but was bought off with a large amount of cubits to instead bring a rescue part onboard your station to steal your hostages."

"Thank you Miss Aperlae, I'll have my people investigate this. Is there anything else I need to know?"

"As a matter of fact there is, Tolan has sent word to the Tenth and Fifteenth Fleets to jump in and begin bombarding your base. I just found this out otherwise I'd have gotten to you sooner," Aperlae said before she had the connection severed.

Aperlae conjured up a mental image of Scott Tolan and his demise at the hands of either the SLA or the Colonial Fleet, "I win," she said quietly.

She got up from her chair and walked over to a computer console located on the right bulkhead, she input a series of letters and numbers before hitting the send button. When the message was confirmed to have seen sent she went back to her chair and smiled, in a few minutes Admiral Whitney T. Coughlin of the Tenth Fleet and Admiral William B. Preston of the Fifteenth Fleet would have their ships poised to jump into this section of the Erebus Belt and unleash their firepower on the station that served as the home base for the Sagittaron Liberation Army.

_**SLA BASE, OPERATIONS CENTER, EIGHTEEN MINUTES LATER:**_

General Jonas Sano put the phone down and looked at the concerned face of Admiral Pierre Renoir of the Erebea.

"What's the matter General?" Renoir asked.

Sano was quiet for a moment before he spoke, "Get to your ships and prepare for a battle with the Colonial Fleet. Commander Tolan has been here this whole time on a rescue mission. I just received word that Level Nine was hit by an assault team and the Adars were nowhere to be seen. I'm leading a platoon to the hangar bay where Tolan's shuttle is located. If we get there in time we might be able to stop him," Sano said as he strapped his sidearm to his belt and left the room.

"I knew there was something about that man I didn't like," Renoir said as he left the room shaking his head in disgust at how someone like Scott Tolan could even think he could pull off such an insane rescue mission.

_**JABIN, CARGO HOLD:**_

"Aperlae beat us to them! She had this whole thing planned out from the start," Malka screeched to Tolan and Bowman once they had returned to the shuttle and sealed the doors.

"That I'm sure of its just…what is her end-game in all of this?" Bowman said as he tried to make sense of the note that Aperlae had left for them in the Security Room.

"Commander Tolan, come to the bridge…you need to see this," Zayre said as he bolted into the room and nearly knocked Bowman over.

"What is it?" Tolan asked as he followed Zayre to the bridge. What he saw caught him off guard and filled him with a sense of dread. The soldiers of the SLA had mustered onto the hangar deck with their weapons drawn and ready to fire.

"Frak me," Bowman chanted as he walked up and saw the sight.

"Took the words right out of my mouth, Ace," Malka said.

"Commander Tolan, we have you surrounded. If you release the hostages and surrender I promise you will be dealt with fairly and humanely," a voice said over the hangar's speaker system.

"Mr. Zayre, open me a line so they can hear me out there," Tolan said to Zayre and when he got the word the connection was open he said, "General Sano, I don't know where you got your information from but there are no hostages on this ship."

"That's not what your Lt. Aperlae informed me, now you have eight minutes to turn them over or we storm your ship."

"We're surrounded, I'm open to any ideas to get us out of here," Tolan said to the group.

Malka and Bowman shared a glance at one another. Malka was clearly prepared to go down with a fight if she had to but it was never the plan and as she looked at Bowman she began to wonder of this was the Gods punishing her for mixing business with pleasure.

Each of them visited their souls as the SLA secured the ship inside the hangar. The prospect of surviving the SLA was getting slimmer by the second to say nothing of when the Colonial Fleet arrived.

Tolan looked down for a moment at the wedding ring on his finger. Only Bowman was close enough to hear him utter the words, "I'm so sorry, Em."


	9. Chapter 9: In the Line of Fire

**Chapter Nine: In the Line of Fire**

**JABIN:**

"Anyone here has any ideas, no matter how crazy they may sound, I would love to hear them right about now," Tolan said to the group crowding the bridge of the _Jabin_.

Bowman looked back at Galit. The MoI agent gave him a not-so-funny grin as if to silently say 'I have plenty of crazy sounding ideas but unfortunately none of them will help us now'. Bowman looked back at Tolan. Tolan looked genuinely worried to Bowman but he hid it well from the rest of the team choosing only to reveal his true feelings to his XO.

"I have an idea sir, might be stupid but it could work," Petty Officer Robert Imlay said as he stepped towards the front of the group.

"Well if it's stupid but it works then I consider it to not be stupid. What do you have for me?" Tolan said as he wondered just what the petty officer had in mind.

"We can configure the engines to run close to the red line, which should cause them to overheat and begin to smoke. The smoke gets thick enough it could cover our escape to another part of the station, or it could explode and take out the troops, the ship, and us as well."

Tolan raised his eyebrows as he considered it. He glanced outside the shuttle's windows and saw the assembled SLA. If they didn't try it they would be dead for certain.

"At this point in time that's a risk I'm willing to take, where's our way out of here?" Tolan asked the group in the hopes that someone among them would have an idea.

"There's a corridor over on the right side of the hangar that will lead to an access corridor to another hangar where, according to the data I have, there are a group of shuttles there we could acquire," Marcellus Britt said after consulting a nearby computer.

"In that case we have our escape route," said Tolan firmly, a mark of a good leader who has to appear as confident as possible to those under his command. "We've used the port cargo doors so far, and the SLA has mustered in that direction. Perhaps the starboard cargo doors can be opened so we can have a better chance to reach that door."

"We can provide you cover fire until everyone has made it," Sgt. Coralie Jaillet said, which drew nods of approval from the other Marines.

"Alright, we don't have much time so Imlay; I want you to get to work on it. Sgt. Jaillet, get your Marines ready to provide cover. I'm hoping to hold them off long enough to get Imlay's plan in motion. The rest of you, grab a weapon and prepare to repel boarders. When the explosion goes off I'll open the starboard cargo doors and we'll make a run for it," Tolan said as he reached for the sidearm strapped to his belt.

The crew went about arming themselves and preparing for a running battle. A young Corporal handed Bowman an assault rifle and the Major began to strip it down and check for any damage or obstructions in the chamber as professionally as any of the Marines, something both Malka and Tolan noted.

"I thought it was only Raptors you knew your way around of?" asked Malka impressed by his handling of the weapon.

"My grandfather was a CSAR pilot during the war. If there's one thing he always said it was know how to use a rifle because in the end that's what it always boils down to," explained Bowman before he turned to Tolan. "This plan going to work, sir?" Bowman asked when everyone else had gone about their business.

"It's going to have to Major, otherwise we're dead," Tolan said as he looked out at the army that was arrayed facing the port side of the _Jabin_.

"Commander Tolan, I've begun the process of destroying the engines. In about two minutes you should see some results," Imlay said over the ship's loud speaker.

"Well Artimus we're either going to escape this or die trying," Tolan said.

"You called me 'Artimus'?" Bowman asked in a confused voice.

"Hell this isn't the time for formality, besides I'm sorry for having dragged you into this mess."

"You didn't drag me in, I did volunteer for it." Bowman said. "Guess I'm a glutton for punishment."

"Well when we got out this we're going to have a beer to…" Tolan did not get the chance to finish the statement as the room shook violently as though it had been shaken by a giant child.

"What the frak was that?" Bowman asked as he struggled to get back up to his feet as another deafening boom came and caused the ship to shake. "Is that our engines going nova?"

Tolan peered out through the windows once more at the SLA members outside. They were scrambling for cover as small pieces of debris fell from the roof.

"I believe the Colonial Fleet has arrived to say 'Hello' to the SLA," Tolan said as he ran back to the cargo bay.

"How much longer Chief?" Bowman asked Imlay, without even thinking of letting Tolan ask the question.

"We're in the red, should be any moment," Imlay said over the loud roar of the ship's engines.

"Are you sure this'll work?" Barron asked, and as soon as the words escaped his mouth a larger explosion was heard as the rear engines of the _Jabin _began to smoke and catch fire.

"Alright this it! Remember to keep moving towards the shuttle bay. Take out any targets of opportunity as you go. We can't let anything stop us. Malka open the doors," Tolan ordered as he grabbed his sidearm and checked to make sure the safety was off.

The large metal doors slid opened and crew began to run towards the door marked "Hangar Two Access". Some of the SLA soldiers had begun to run away as the bombardment began to intensify but some of the were still waiting in their positions unfazed by the explosive shells of the Colonial Fleet impacting on the rock outside.

"Troops! Left flank!" one of the platoon sergeants bellowed at the squad of SLA. The result was a withering wall of bullets fired at the escaping crew of the Jabin.

"Take cover and return fire!" Jaillet called out to her Marines who promptly followed her orders and laid down their own fire to keep the soldiers at bay. Jaillet threw her rifle butt into her shoulder and instinctively threw it around in the direction of the closest SLA soldier. One! Two! Three! All three rounds found their target in the soldier's chest just below the neck and his body slumped to the floor coughing blood that spurted out of his mouth.

The Marines took up positions behind anything that would provide cover. Cargo containers were the preferred option providing there was nothing flammable inside. The Hangar bay was now filling with smoke from the Jabin's glowing engines making it all the harder for either side to see one another. Knowing where their own people were Jalliet instructed her Marines, "Go for the silhouettes! There's nobody out there who's a friendly."

The Marines sighted down the barrels of their weapons searching for the faint dark outlines of moving objects through the smoke that meant that someone was foolhardy enough to try and rush them.

"Almost there!" Malka called out as she opened the hatch to the access corridor.

"Everyone in, I'll help cover you," Tolan said as he pressed his body against the halfway open hatch and began to fire his sidearm in the direction of the SLA soldiers.

"Jaillet, get your Marines in here," Tolan called out over the loud fire from the assault rifles.

"I'm hit!" Ensign Morris Zayre called out as he fell to the deck.

"I got you," Lance Corporal Hannah Nicholson said as she left her cover position and ran to where Zayre lay.

"Get over here," Tolan called out before he was pushed out of the way by Bowman. "What the hell?"

"You could use some help, besides I want make sure Zayre makes it," Bowman said as he began firing from the position behind the door where Tolan had been.

"You're crazy Bowman, but I like it," Tolan said as he ran over to a large metal crate where he could continue to fire at the enemy soldiers.

"You're almost there! Just-" Bowman called out but was suddenly cut off. His face turned white. His heart stopped and choked him of blood as he watched the horror unfold before him.

Nicholson was dragging Zayre's body when suddenly a bullet whizzed through the back of her neck. Her throat seemed to rip open with blood before she dropped the wounded Zayre in a desperate effort to reach for her neck. Had the bullet hit just a few millimeters to the left it would have severed her spinal chord killing her instantly but instead she was subjected to the horror of having to drown in her own blood. Both fell to the ground and it was clear that they would not be getting back up ever again as the SLA soldiers fired off several lucky shots through the smoke and riddling Zayre's body.

Private Richard Somers and Corporal John Harbrecht ran through the bullets and managed to make it through, followed by Jaillet, Imlay, and Tolan before Bowman came behind them and closed the hatch. There was still a firefight going on outside as two of Jaillet's Marines were staying behind to keep the SLA at bay long enough for the rest of the group to make it through the hatch. Once the handle spun around through two hundred and seventy degrees Bowman took a step back before slamming his right hand against the metal if only to just feel the pain it caused.

"Damn it, he almost made it!" Bowman said bitterly.

"Move out of the way," Malka said as she came through with an iron bar. She promptly stuck in the handle to try and keep the SLA from getting through. She put a hand on Bowman's shoulder and the two shared a knowing look as if they were able communicate a sentiment without having to actually say it.

"Where to next?" Tolan asked Britt.

"We head down here and take a right at the first turn. That should lead us to a stairway to take us up a level. From there we take a left and make our way through a computer control room. We take a door through there and up a stairway to the hangar," Britt said after consulting the plans for the station on his wrist computer.

The ceiling suddenly thundered with the sound of exploding ordinance. A crack appeared along the left hand side wall and several rocks fell through. A small whistling sound filled their ears as small amounts of oxygen began venting from area.

"That bombardment must be getting heavier; this place is shaking worse than a house in a quake. We need to keep moving," Barron called out and everyone began to follow him.

Tolan knew the situation was precarious but leaving this base felt more like an embarrassment to him than anything else. Ensign Zayre and a Marine had been shot and the other two had stayed behind so Jaillet and the other two Marines could make their escape.

Everywhere they encountered doors Malka and Barron did what they could to keep them sealed behind them so that the SLA could not get through them so easily. This had the advantage of keeping the enemy forces from following them to the shuttle bay but at the same time ensured they would be eventually killed in the bombardment since they were blocking off their escape now that the only other way off, the _Jabin_, was disabled. Tolan's mind registered their fate but had to push it to the back of his mind. His own people were more important. When they entered the Computer Control Room the group stopped for a breather while Britt stopped to see the progress the SLA was making.

"They're gaining ground, we must not have secured those doors as well as we thought," Britt said as he accessed the security camera footage and saw the SLA approaching in an adjacent corridor.

"Major, I want you to go to the hangar bay and get a shuttle ready for takeoff," Tolan said as he tossed Bowman a wireless transmitter.

"Got it Commander," Bowman said as he shared a look at Malka before grudgingly heading away.

"There's no way he can get a shuttle ready in time for us to get out of here, we'll need to hold the soldiers off somehow," Malka said to Tolan once Bowman was gone from the room.

"What are you suggesting?" Tolan asked though he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"I can stay behind and provide a distraction while you and everyone else escapes," Malka said as she took a hold of his elbow and made sure she had his attention.

"If she's staying then I'm staying too," Britt said from his computer station.

"What are you talking about?" Malka asked, stunned at Britt's declaration.

"Listen, the odds are good I'm going to be arrested again and be back in prison. Besides, the straight life was never one for me. I can close the doors behind us and keep them sealed long enough for you to escape."

"Keene, you're going with Tolan. I need someone from the MoI to tell them what really happened," Malka said to Barron who simply nodded.

"I'm staying behind too," Jaillet said as she turned her attention to Somers and Harbrecht, "The two of you are going with them, I won't let my entire group of Marines die here today."

The two Marines tried to argue but realized how pointless it was and moved to the side of the room with Tolan and Barron.

"You should go, Mr Tolan," Esmond said as he checked the ammunition in his sidearm, "My job was to make sure you get out of here alive and I intend to do it. Make sure Mrs. Zeresi takes care of my family for me. That's all that matters to the Basileus really isn't it Commander? Family is everything."

"You have my word Esmond. As a Tolan you have my word that your family will be cared for," Tolan said as he fought to keep a wave of emotion from rising up at the sight of the people who would be staying behind and giving their lives so willingly.

"Right, let's get out of here while we still can," Barron said and was quickly followed by the rest of the group.

"Tolan!" Malka called out and when Tolan came to her she whispered in his ear, "I know that I won't be coming back from this one so do me a favor would you? Tell Artimus to stop wallowing in self pity over that girl, Brooke. If there's one thing I hope I've got through to him in all this it's that if you want something that badly you fight for it and to hell with the rest of the universe. If he argues tell him to do it for me, it's what I want."

"Will do Galit, it's been an adventure," Tolan said with a sorry smile. She put her arms around him in a tight hug. "I'll sort him out for you."

"I know you will," she whispered before pulling away from him. "The pleasure's been mine Scott, I told you by the time this was over you'd like me." She smiled brilliantly in her usual playful way before she said, "Now, get your frakking ass in that shuttle and get out of here…sir!" she said as she went to consult with Jaillet and Esmond.

"You'd better go Tolan, they're getting closer," Britt cautioned. Tolan nodded with a heavy heart hanging in his chest. He took a second to burn their images into his mind. He would never forget any of them for this. They were giving their lives for nothing more than to buy time for their comrades to live. Their mission was a farce orchestrated and manipulated by others and their lives would be thrown away for nothing. Tolan turned and ran out of the door. As Britt closed it Tolan took a second to salute every one of them until the door went down and they were gone.

With the door sealed with a password-encrypted lock that had not been previously activated the three of them found cover along with Jalliet to wait for the inevitable.

Malka looked at Britt who nervously sat there behind the containers holding a shaking gun. He looked up at her as she grinned in amusement at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Just wondering where you got that backbone from?" she quipped.

"Oh this isn't courage, Lieutenant," he said with a not-so-confident-smirk. "This is arrogance. I'm convinced I can survive this and make good my escape from prison. But just in case; any chance of a kiss before we meet our makers?"

"Tell you what; if we survive this I promise that I will…seriously consider it!" Malka was as prepared as she could be for the upcoming firefight, "Alright sweetie, let's have some fun."

**HANGAR BAY:**

Bowman sat at the controls of the shuttle when the door he had come out of earlier opened with Tolan, Imlay, Barron, and the two Marines racing out towards him.

"Is it ready?" Tolan asked when he got into the co-pilot's seat.

"Ready sir, where's Galit and the rest?" Bowman asked, though he felt a sense of dread at the answer.

"The SLA breached the door and she stayed behind with Esmond, Jaillet, and Britt to buy us some time to escape," Tolan said and felt a great weight crushing him as he tried to explain what happened.

The wireless sets crackled to life. Tolan and Bowman both heard Marcellus Britt's voice as well as the sound of heavy gunfire in the background, "Have you made it to the shuttle?"

"Yeah Britt, we're all here," Tolan said immediately.

"I'm opening the doors; we don't have much time left," Britt said as there was the sound of a loud explosion and the line went dead suddenly.

Tolan looked at Bowman. Both of them feared what that sound meant. Even though Tolan understood that they would be killed he still hadn't accepted it yet. Bowman looked even worse and Tolan had to shake him to his senses. "We need to get out of here Major or their sacrifice was for nothing. Do you understand?

"Yes sir," Bowman said as he brought the thrusters to life and the shuttle lifted off from the deck.

The doors began to open and they had a glimpse of the firefight taking place out in space, it was like a Colonial Day fireworks celebration on steroids. Suddenly small caliber shells began to land inside the hangar bay.

"Artimus, you know what to do," Tolan said and took a deep breath as Bowman accelerated the shuttle out of the hangar bay before the larger shells found their mark and destroyed the room they had just escaped from.

"They're firing at us?" Barron asked in astonishment.

"I'm sure Aperlae has told them nothing about us so we look like a group of terrorists trying to escape," Tolan said and swore that he would make Lt. Myra Aperlae pay somehow.

Bowman kept his concentration on the scene in front of him as he tried to navigate his way through flak bursts and weapons fire from the various ships of the two fleets, not to mention the Erebea who were returing fire with their ships as well but unlike any other vessel there the shuttle was being targeted by both sides.

'Keep it together,' Bowman thought to himself as he deftly moved the controls to get the Raptor to where it would not need to be, his grandfather was a Combat Search and Rescue Pilot and Bowman's skills at maneuvering the shuttle would have made him proud.

"Are we going to die?" Somers asked out loud.

"No you're not Marine, keep it together," Bowman shot back knowing what would happen if everyone in the shuttle began to panic.

"You got this Artimus," Tolan said reassuringly just in case but in his mind he knew that Bowman had it together. The broad Caprican pilot was one hundred per cent focused on the task at hand. It was physically impossible for him to concentrate any harder on keeping them out of the line of fire.

Suddenly the shuttle shook as flak began to explode around them; thankfully Bowman was able to maneuver through it with no trouble. The problem came next when a small caliber shell hit the engines of the shuttle, bringing it to a standstill. The cabin shook heavily sending Tolan and Somers off their feet. Tolan had managed to hold on to Bowman's seat but Somers was not so fortunate landing heavily against the adjacent wall.

"Frak!" Somers shouted and would have said more, but Tolan shot a look at the Marine private that caused him to stop any further protestations.

"Send out a distress beacon, that should get us some help," Tolan ordered, which Bowman carried out immediately. "Let's just hope it attracts the right attention."

Bowman leaned over and accessed the comm station and checked the gauges before he slammed his hand down on the console, "We're leaking air and it looks like the SLA did not keep any flight suits onboard so we'd best have our rescuers get here soon. "

"They'll be here, we just have to be patient," Tolan said and when Bowman sat back upright pilot's seat they both sat there and watched the battle unfold.

"You want to tell me anything about it?" Bowman finally asked referring to Malka.

"Yeah, she had every opportunity to leave with us but instead she stayed behind to give us a chance to live," Tolan said and before Bowman could say anything he added, "She also told me to tell you to reconcile with Brooke and be happy for the rest of your life."

"What else happened I should know about?" Bowman asked, not wanting to be too pushy about the fate of the MoI officer he had grown to genuinely care about and possibly even love.

"She had to deal with Marcellus Britt wanting a kiss from her. He commented that it would ensure that he would now die a happy man," Tolan saw the disbelieving look on Bowman's face before adding, "That's the gods-honest truth, she seemed to be the same though I'm sure she felt a pang of regret over having to be separated from you."

"This is just frakked up beyond all recognition, I mean after all we had been through on this mission to just throw it away like that…" Bowman said as he pondered what would have driven Galit Malka to sacrifice herself like that.

"She did it for you Artimus, when you boil it all down she did it for you. That's also why she told me to tell you to find Brooke and reconcile with her, she wanted you to be…" Tolan paused as he felt his mind drift towards unconsciousness, "She wanted you to be happy and live your life not dwelling on the past."

Bowman started to say something but instead fell silent as he began to drift off to sleep.

"See you on the other side, my friend," Tolan said as he too drifted off. He saw a picture of Emily in his mind's eye and smiled, if there was going to be a last thought of his then he could not do any better than his beautiful and beloved wife.

As the last of them started to pass out from oxygen depravation a brilliant white light burst through the windows. A Raptor was orbiting outside looking in.

**TWO DAYS LATER:**

**BATTLESTAR VALKYRIE:**

Tolan woke up with a pounding headache. He looked and saw that he was in an isolation room of what looked like a hospital. He looked and saw that there was an IV line tethered to his arm. He began to wonder just how long he had been out.

"Hello Commander. Welcome back, how are you feeling?" a woman's voice said from beyond his field of vision.

"Like I was run over by a freight train, who are you?" Tolan asked with a voice that seemed to crack a bit. He suddenly felt an almost unquenchable thirst for water. He tried to focus on the blurry figure looking down at him when suddenly his eyes started to sting from a light being shone into each eye.

"Dr. Rebecca Lawson, I'm the Chief Medical Officer of the Battlestar _Valkyrie_. You and your people were rescued from your shuttle during the battle we were in a couple of days ago."

"Pleased to meet you," said Tolan groggily as the Doctor became clearer, "though I doubt Commander Adama is happy to have me back onboard. Now where are my people at?"

"They've been given a full medical release and are awaiting the transport that will take them and you to Fort Milledge. We're in orbit around Caprica at the moment," Lawson said as she looked over Tolan's vital signs, "I'm going to have the IV line disconnected, you are quite lucky to be alive."

"Why's that?" Tolan asked, he could not help but be curious.

"Your shuttle was hit by a stray round and a good portion of it was damaged, you had some injuries that were more severe than your crew's. You can get up and move around but you're going to be sore for some time," Lawson said as she stuck her head outside of the room and called a nearby nurse who came in.

"I want you to remove the IV from the Commander's arm and make sure he's able to walk on his own without too much trouble," Lawson instructed the nurse who nodded and went about removing the IV.

"Commander, your left wrist was broken and we have it in a cast, the rest of your wounds were superficial and will heal up with time. I don't know how but you managed to survive relatively unscathed. As for your wrist, if you were still a pilot you would find your flying days and career over. If you don't mind me saying, you have a higher power watching over you," Lawson said as she smiled and left the room.

When the IV was removed Tolan slowly stood up and immediately felt a wave of pain course up his legs, they were bandaged in spots as though he had received some cuts or burns. He looked at his left wrist and saw that there was bulky white cast on it, he was surprised he had not noticed it earlier but perhaps that was because of whatever meds had been pumped into him.

"I'll stay and help you dress if you'd like," the nurse offered.

"What's your name?" Tolan asked.

"Elisia Vardo, I'm one of the nurses here in the Isolation Ward," the nurse said with a smile.

"Well Nurse Vardo, I'd appreciate the help with getting dressed," Tolan said as he began to mentally block out the pain that he was feeling.

"We were left instructions by Major Bowman that when you're up and about to meet him on the starboard hangar deck, you'd know where to find him," Vardo said as the thought came to her suddenly.

"Really? How is the Major?" asked Tolan.

"Still his usual cheery self," the nurse explained with absolute diplomacy.

**STARBOARD HANGAR DECK:**

Tolan walked into the starboard hangar and saw the first of the three things that could have become his tomb since he agreed to take part in the rescue mission. The Raptor that Marcus Aldo had sabotaged in an attempt to kill both him and Bowman, it was in the same place it had been brought to once it had been lowered into the hangar.

"Glad to see you're up and about again," Bowman said as he stepped out of the Raptor and onto the deck.

"It seems I got took more of a blow there in the shuttle than I realized," Tolan said as he walked over and offered a handshake to the man who had been his XO.

"Once again we have someone try to kill us while I'm flying, do you think we should take our chances again in one of these?" Bowman asked.

"Cars and other vehicles on land, sure. Raptors and shuttles, hell no," Tolan said with a laugh that caused a burst of pain from his ribs.

"I understand," Bowman said.

"While I'm thinking about it, I do want to do one thing," Tolan said as he moved his right hand up to the left side of his uniform jacket and undid one of the pins.

"What are you doing?" Bowman asked.

"This is my pin from completing Advanced Tactical Training. It's the one with honors for being in the top five percent of my class. I know you were rejected for it, but I'm going to rectify that. Both with this Raptor and piloting that shuttle you showed you have the skills to make an ATT instructor proud," Tolan said as he handed the pin to Bowman. "I know they're not Raptor pins but swallow your 'wrangler' pride for me and just accept them as a token of my appreciation."

Bowman was moved for the second time in two days.

**ONE DAY LATER:**

**CAPRICA, FORT MILLEDGE ON THE ISLE OF BRENNA:**

Tolan awoke to find himself in one of the officer's staterooms at the Fort Milledge prison facility. He stood up and stretched his muscles; he'd been lying down too long his body felt stiff from it.

"I see you've joined the rest of us here," Bowman said as he entered the room and sat down at a table. He was in a blue officer uniform with his Major pips still attached.

"We got out of one prison and found ourselves in another," Tolan said as he took the seat on the other side of the table Bowman sat at.

"It's a precaution, I'll explain it to both of you," a man said as he entered the room and closed the door behind him, "Warden Jesse Bishop, I'm in charge of the Fort Milledge prison facility."

"In that case why are we here?" Tolan asked.

"It's a precaution by both Admiral Corman and President Adar. You see, Lt. Aperlae got off the base with Renee and Rachael Adar," Bishop began.

"She about got us killed in the process," Bowman interjected angrily.

"Yes, both feel that it was unfortunate that it happened but they cannot change the past. You are to be quarantined here for the next few months until the public has it firmly in its mind that it was Lt. Aperlae who was solely responsible for the rescue mission."

"What about the people on my team who were killed because of her actions?" Tolan demanded.

"Their families will be told that they were killed in the ubiquitous training accident, you understand how important it is that we keep this under wraps. Listen Commander, Admiral Corman has been here for the past few hours in case you woke up. How about you get a shower, some food, and then meet with him to see where you and your people stand," Bishop said as he turned and left the room.

"So now we get to be imprisoned by our own fleet," Bowman swore bitterly.

"No we won't," Tolan said.

"Did you not hear him, Aperlae is out there getting the credit for our work and we can't even do anything about the deaths she caused. What about Zayre, the Marines, Esmond, and Britt? Zayre should not have even been there and you know that, he didn't deserve to be killed."

"I'll make sure everything is taken care of. I'm not your CO anymore but I will make everything right if I have to move the Colonies with my own two hands. Let me meet with Corman and I can promise you we will be out of here soon," Tolan said as he stood up from the table and made his way to the showers.

"Are you doing this as a fellow officer?" Bowman asked.

Tolan stopped and looked back at him, "No, I'm doing it for a friend who pulled my ass and everyone else's out of the fire three days ago."

**FORT MILLEDGE PRISON, WARDEN'S OFFICE:**

"Commander Tolan, I'm glad to see you're alive and well."

"Thank you sir, I don't believe you but thank you for the sentiment," Tolan said as he snapped off a salute and waited for Corman to offer him a seat. Corman looked more amused than annoyed by the comment from Tolan.

"I know you have some hard feelings towards Lt. Aperlae, but why exactly?"

"Sir, she sent a twenty-two year old officer to his grave and those of us who got out in that shuttle feel like we've been sent to hell," Tolan said a bit more forcefully than he had planned.

"Sadly things are what they are, the question is can we work out an arrangement?"

"I'm a reasonable man," Tolan said.

"What will it take to keep you and your people quiet?"

"I want no charges brought against us for anything involving this operation; I want families of those on my team who perished to be adequately compensated and I want the careers of my team to be unaffected."

Corman smiled, "Anything else?"

"I don't know, let me get back to the _Vanguard_ and I'll let you know."

"That's the problem, you see while you were on the mission you were relieved of command of the _Vanguard_. You've been replaced with Commander Levi Twiggs; I wish I could have told you under better circumstances."

"What about Bridget?"

"Commander Woods has been reassigned to the Battlestar _Perseus_ under the command of Commander Samuel Reid, as for you Tolan well…there is an assignment waiting for you if you agree to help me."

"I'm listening," Tolan said and wondered what was to come next.

"I need someone to oversee the decommissioning of a couple of battlestars, and I would like for you to be the officer in charge of this project. You agree to it and I can see big things in your future. One thing I learned from watching your grandfather in action was how to negotiate for favorable terms."

Tolan's eyebrows arched in surprise, "You knew my grandfather?"

"I was stationed on Canceron during the Cylon War; I escorted Admiral Stryker on a mission to enlist the aid of the Basileus."

Tolan thought for a moment before he realized the deal he was being offered for both him and his people was the best he was going to get, "You have a deal Admiral Corman."

"Excellent! I knew you were a man of reason Commander. You work this well with me and you will find yourself in places of power higher than you could imagine. I see potential in you Tolan, and I promise to do what I can to make sure you reach it. Just so you know your XO is being assigned to Caprica as a Raptor instructor with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He'll be assigned to Vaught-Hemingway Fleet Air Station in Oxford. That's twelve miles to the north of Delphi. He just hasn't discovered that piece of news yet. Commander Adama has already been informed of this and has chosen his replacement as CAG of the _Valkyrie_."

"I'm sure Bowman will be pleased to hear at least part of it," Tolan said as he left the room wondering what the future was going to hold here for him on Caprica.

"Indeed, now Petty Officer Imlay is also being assigned to Vaught-Hemingway where he will be in charge of maintaining the Vipers and Raptors there at the base. As for our Marines, Somers is being promoted to Corporal and assigned to the battlestar _Helios_. Harbrecht is being moved up to Gunnery Sergeant and being assigned to Abry Military Academy as a combat instructor, and that should be more than enough incentive for you and your fellow survivors to play nice and go along with what we have in mind for taking care of this unfortunate situation," Corman had a satisfied smile on his face, on average these were very generous promotions and assignments being handed out in order to keep them quiet.

When he entered the Officer's Quarters he was sharing with his team they all got up and gathered around him to hear the news.

"Well guys, I have good news and I have bad news…" Tolan began his story of what was to happen to them and what was expected for their early release from Fort Milledge.

"What's the good news?" Somers asked immediately.

"The good news is that we're not going to face criminal charges and we are looking at promotions as well. The bad news is that we are being reassigned to different locales and we are not to breath a word of the rescue attempt, we are to play along with the 'official' story that Myra Aperlae led a rescue team and single-handedly rescued Renee and Rachael Adar without any outside assistance," Tolan saw the looks on the faces of the people around him and added, "I know it's a bitter pill to swallow, but for our sakes we have to do this or else we may find ourselves permanent guests here at Fort Milledge."

"There's no way to make Aperlae pay for what she did?" Harbrecht asked.

Tolan walked over to where the television and stereo were and turned both on. The television turned on to the Caprica Times News Network, and the announcer was mentioning a potential scandal involving a doctor by the name of Bryce Sabus. The stereo began to play a song titled "Dressed To Kill" loudly enough to where it would be hard to hear what was being said.

"What I'm going to tell you can in no way leave this room, if any of you repeat it and it gets to Corman I will deny having said it and you will find yourself charged with slandering an officer. The reason for that is that I'm looking at a future where I might be able to influence certain things, and one of those things is the career of Myra Aperlae. I can stand by and let her skyrocket up the ranks, but when she comes up for promotion to Commander or flag rank I will make sure I'm there to stop her. She won the battle, but I will gain the influence to make sure she loses the war. Are we clear?"

There was a muttering of 'Yes sir' from the group, but they looked better for knowing that their CO was planning to avenge what had happened on the SLA base.

Suddenly the television and stereo went dead. A man standing in the corner of the room threw the remote back down. The group turned to see a familiar face standing there. Keene Barron was dressed in a smart-looking black suit, looking every bit the part of the suave intelligence operative that one would see in one of those secret agent movies.

"Mr. Barron, how nice of you to join us," Tolan said with a smile.

"I'm sorry I couldn't join you here at these deluxe accommodations, the work on a MoI officer never really ends," Barron said as he walked up and exchanged handshakes with his fellow survivors.

"Do you have any news on the people who were left behind?" Bowman asked.

"Yes I do," Barron said solemnly before continuing, "They found the bodies of the four people who stayed behind, I'm sorry to say it but all of them died in the fight with the SLA troops who were following us."

"That means Galit is…" Bowman could not bring himself to finish the sentence.

Barron nodded, "I'm so sorry Bowman, believe me I share your pain at her loss. I swear to the Gods I would bring her back if I could. I am just so sorry."

"Yeah I know, everyone's sorry right now," Bowman said as he walked away to try to gather his thoughts.

"Any word on when we'll be released?" Tolan asked.

"You're going to be kept here while Aperlae and the Adars are sent on a publicity tour of all twelve worlds to celebrate the rescue. Strictly a precaution I assure you," Barron said as he saw the looks of anger flash over the people standing before him.

"So what's our status then?" Imlay asked, he would be damned if he stayed on this miserable rock as a prisoner when he had not committed a crime.

"Officially you are listed as 'Missing in Action' and your families have been told as much. Since the _Valkyrie_ was part of the task force that bombed the SLA base this can be explained away easily enough, and when this is over you'll be released and your cover story confirmed," Barron said as he wondered what effect this would have.

"So we just wait then," Bowman asked as he rejoined the group having become more composed.

"I'm afraid so, but you will stay here and will be treated as honored guests instead of prisoners. Warden Bishop assured me you will be treated with the highest level of dignity and respect. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a debriefing to attend in Delphi," Barron said as he turned and walked away.

"Why do you get to leave while we rot here on this island?" Bowman said as Barron walked towards the door.

The MoI officer turned and smiled, "A perk of being an officer in the Ministry of Intelligence, you should really join up and enjoy the benefits."

Barron left and Bowman simply said, "Like hell I will."


	10. Chapter 10: All That Remains

_**Chapter Ten: All That Remains**_

_**Ministry of Intelligence Research Laboratory:**_

_**Edessa, Caprica:**_

"Has the shipment arrived?" John Bledsoe, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Intelligence, asked.

"That's correct sir, Project Lysippe can now begin once we have the shipment at the facility," Assistant Director Joseph Shea said.

Project Lysippe was named after the warrior queen Lysippe, who was rumored to be the leader of a fierce group of women warriors from ancient times. When the person they had selected for this turned out to be a woman, the name was officially chosen.

"I'm amazed she was even alive when your people found her," Bledsoe commented.

Shea's team had boarded the SLA base, or what was left of it, after the bombardment had ended and the Erebea vessels that had not jumped away were disabled or destroyed. They had come across a room with four bodies in it, two men and two women, and it was realized that one of the women was still alive.

"Let's go have a look at her," Bledsoe said as he started making his way towards a nearby elevator.

"She's down in the lab right now, they haven't removed her from the life support pod they had her in," Shea said as he tried to keep up.

The metal doors opened and the two men stepped in. Bledsoe produced his MoI badge and inserted it into a slot underneath the numbers for the floors.

When the door closed Bledsoe turned to Shea, "Does Barron know yet?"

"Yes, we told him as soon as we found out. He is of course under strict orders to not let a word out other than the official story," Shea said.

"Can we trust him to do it?"

Shea shrugged his shoulders, "In truth I believe so, Keene Barron was a good Marine and a damn fine officer but above all he is loyal to the company. He knows what is expected of him and he'll do it."

"I wish I shared your optimism Shea. What about Braden?" Bledsoe was referring to Vice President James Braden, who was the actual leader behind the Sagitarron Liberation Army.

"I've sent McQueen to handle him; we should be hearing results from that endeavor soon."

"I'm surprised you were able to get him off of his assignment on Canceron," Bledsoe said.

"If there's one thing Albert McQueen takes seriously it's an attempt to harm the President and his family. He said the Basileus will still be there tomorrow."

"I suppose we owe him a bit of thanks for that," Bledsoe said as he looked at his watch.

The elevator came to a stop and the doors opened. The two men stepped into a corridor of white-painted metal that had a cold sterile feel to it. They made their way to a pair of sliding glass doors emblazoned with the emblem of the Ministry of Intelligence. Bledsoe slipped out his badge once more and entered it into a slot similar to the one on the elevator. The doors hissed open and the two men walked into a room that reminded them of a hospital operating room.

"Greeting gentlemen, come by to see our visitor have we?" Dr. Stuart Rathbourne asked the two MoI Directors.

"Yes we did, how is she doing?" Shea asked as he walked over to the table on which the arrival had been laid out.

"Amazing she even survived the attack in one piece," Bledsoe declared as if he were describing a dinner plate that had fallen from a shelf. "To say nothing of being alive. The others were not even close to as being so fortunate I can assure you."

"She sustained a great amount of internal trauma but it's nothing we can't fix," Rathbourne insisted.

"When we're done with her she'll be healed completely and become the human weapon we've dreamed of," Bledsoe said as he touched the cheek of the woman.

"Yes we will, heal up nicely, my dear…we have big plans you, Galit Malka," Shea said as he looked down at the MoI officer who they would mold into the weapon they envisioned when they created Project Lysippe. In truth she was the perfect candidate for the project.

She had been officially listed as 'Dead'.

_**Three Months Later:**_

_**Fort Milledge, Isle of Brenna, Caprica:**_

The cold wind blowing off the Issus Ocean stung Tolan's cheeks and was enough to almost make his eyes tear up. He was miserable here, but the truth was there was little he could do to escape this place that had become the home of him and his team for the past three months. The only one who was allowed to leave was Keene Barron; it seemed the Ministry of Intelligence needed to debrief the only half of the MoI rescue team to survive the escape from the SLA base.

He was now standing on the top floor balcony of the warden's house, looking out at a dreary ocean that seemed to heave as though it thought its waves could crash down and rid the speck of an island of the structures and people that currently resided on it.

"What are our families being told about us?" a voice called out to Tolan, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Officially we are still being listed as missing in action, though of course the Colonial Fleet has yet to give up hope of finding us," Tolan said as he took a cup of coffee from Major Artimus Bowman.

"In that case I hope they find us soon, this whole 'Missing in Action' business is starting to get old," Bowman said with a laugh before he took a sip of coffee.

"Tell me about it, if this goes on long enough I might actually start to believe it," Tolan said, which drew a laugh out of both men.

"It can't be easy on your wife, sir," noted Bowman as he and Tolan began leaning on the handrail looking out at the sea.

"No it can't but she's tougher than she looks. Oh and drop the 'sir' ok?" said Tolan. "We're equal prisoners in here."

"Don't you mean 'missing prisoners'?" joked Bowman.

Tolan laughed and shook his head. He suddenly stopped as his mind cast back further through time to someone who had since departed from this universe.

"What is it?" asked Bowman as he noticed the long gaze Tolan had emanating from his eyes.

"I was just thinking; that sounds like something...she would say."

Bowman smiled half heartedly. "I guess I picked up a few bad habits from Galit."

"Her sense of humor wasn't a bad habit," commented Tolan as he took another sip of his coffee.

"It was what made her who she was. Hold onto it and she will never truly be gone to you."

"That was rather poetic," said Bowman somewhat surprised that words as profound as that were coming from Tolan's mouth.

"Yeah well, I'm full of surprises," he uttered.

"So what are you going to do about that girl back home in Delphi? Brooke was it?"

"I don't know," uttered Bowman staring into the sea.

"We didn't exactly leave on good terms. It's funny how the right thing isn't always the best thing. I called it off with her just before I took up my posting as _Valkyrie _CAG. I think you may have had some of the fallout for that when we first met and for that I am sorry. I called it off because our relationship was tearing her family apart and I couldn't stand that. She didn't want me to go but...I don't know."

"I guess, as someone once put it to me, you have to fight for what you want," said Tolan quoting one of Galit's last words.

"Hey guys, check this out," Corporal John Harbrecht called out from inside the study that the balcony joined in on.

Tolan and Bowman exchanged a look and walked into the room. The channel was turned to the Colonial Broadcasting Channel's news network. A reporter was talking about the scandal that had erupted over the practices of one Dr. Bryce Sabus.

"For our viewers just joining in, what is the latest development in the Sabus story?" Ashley Jewell, the anchorwoman, asked a reporter who was on another screen.

"Well Ashley," Jack Ainscough began, "It would appear that Dr. Sabus was engaged in a form of eugenics when it came to the royal bloodline that he is a part of. He would select female patients to pair off with male members of his family for the purpose of keeping the Sabus line genetically strong. This latest development involves a young woman by the name of Courtney Senn. Mrs. Senn was a senior at Delphi University who was married and on the verge of graduating with a degree in Engineering."

"Alright Jack, so what does this have to do with Sabus?" Jewell asked.

"She was seen by Dr. Sabus who, according to notes that have recently come to light, tried to persuade her to marry his younger brother Robert. It seemed he then discovered that when she was younger, Courtney Senn had developed a case of the Aquarian Flu. He saw this as an imperfection of her and had her murdered rather than let her marry into his family. We learned from Douglas Senn that around this time he had begun to have problems with his marriage and wondered if Dr. Sabus had been influencing her somehow."

"Has that been the only development in this story?" Jewell asked.

"We have just learned that Dr. Sabus was discovered at his Caprica City apartment dead from what I've been told by a source close to the Police Department, is a 'self-inflicted' gunshot wound. Following the fatal heart attack of Vice President James Braden, it seems that the news has been filled with high-profile deaths as of late."

Harbrecht turned the channel to a college pyramid game between Abry Military Academy and the Colonial Fleet Academy.

"Hey Harbrecht you better turn that off before the Commander and the Major come to blows," Private Richard Somers said as he saw the looks exchanged between Tolan and Bowman.

"We all know Commander Tolan and Major Bowman would not just have a fight here and now, I'd have to start a betting pool and advertise it appropriately," Petty Officer Robert Imlay said.

"One day Imlay I will give you the chance to do all that, but it won't be here on this island," Bowman said with a laugh. Perhaps one day he would get to spar with Tolan and see just how well the Commander was at boxing.

"I'll be glad when they let us out of here, these walls are closing in on me," Somers said.

"Believe me, I know how you feel. I wonder if my girlfriend's given up on me yet," Harbrecht said.

"You got a girl back home on Scorpia don't you Somers?" Imlay asked.

"Yeah, her name's Vanessa Joiner and we started dating a year ago but I don't know if she's ready to cry over my grave just yet if you know what I mean? What about you Imlay?" Somers asked.

"I have a wife and two kids back on Virgon, I'm sure her and the boys are wondering where I am," Imlay replied with a bit of sadness in his voice.

"I'm due to be married soon, so hopefully my girl here on Caprica will keep waiting for me," Harbrecht commented.

"Didn't realize you were set to tie the knot Corporal," Tolan commented.

"Uh, yes sir, her name is Ava Suggs. She lives over in Auburn, she's a dental assistant there," Harbrecht said as his face betrayed the emotions he was trying to hide when he talked about his fiancée.

"One of the things I want to do when I get out of here is go visit Virgon, that's where Zayre's family lives," Bowman said. "I should be the one who tells them."

"I'm going with you then," Tolan added.

"No need to, Zayre was one of my pilots and he's gone because he went on that mission," Bowman said. He felt the weight of guilt crushing him knowing that Zayre had to have volunteered for the mission in the hopes of repaying the debt he felt he owed the Major.

"That may be, but he was one of the people on the mission that I led. Just like I'm going to visit the family of Jaillet and the other two Marines lost so I can personally give them my condolences for their loss. They deserve at least that much," Tolan said.

"It looks like we're going to be visiting them together then, since I was the XO for the mission," Bowman said knowing that Tolan would undoubtedly go along with it.

"Fair enough," said Tolan.

_**Ministry of Intelligence:**_

_**Gray, Picon:**_

The wall facing the huge entrance doors of the Ministry of Intelligence had a collection of stars adorning its face. Each star represented an agent killed in the line of duty, and today three men were there to witness the addition of a new star. Commander Scott Tolan, Major Artimus Bowman, Petty Officer Robert Imlay, Private Richard Somers, Lance Corporal John Harbrecht, and Agent Keene Barron were here out of respect for their fallen comrade-in-arms Galit Malka.

"We almost didn't make it." Bowman said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the six of them.

"If Galit and the others had not volunteered to stay behind it, we wouldn't have." Barron said.

"We owe them big time for that." Tolan said in agreement. He had struck yet another deal, this time though it was a heavier price. The five men had agreed to let Lt. Myra Apperlae take credit for the rescue of President Adar's niece, in exchange none of them would face any retaliation for trying to stop Apperlae's rescue attempt.

"It's still not right," Bowman said.

"I know it's not. Eight people are dead who shouldn't be." Tolan knew that if Apperlae had not blown their cover then both Galit Malka, Marcellus Britt, Bryon Esmond, Coralie Jaillet, Hannah Nicholson, Daniel Carmick, Erin Mallow, and Morris Zayre would still be alive.

"They gave us up for dead based on what she had reported." They had barely made it to their shuttle when the bombardment of the asteroid base had begun. The Tenth Fleet and Fifteenth Fleet wasted no time in obliterating it and everyone inside. The shuttle had taken heavy damage, and all they could do was sending out a distress beacon in the hope they would be found before life support failed.

"Just remember what you promised us Commander Tolan," Imlay said once Keene Barron had moved out of earshot.

"Don't worry, that won't be leaving my mind for a long time," Tolan said as he thought of the day he would end Myra Aperlae's career.

"When you do that, we'll all get together and have a round of drinks to be remembered," Bowman said as he fought back a surge of emotion when he thought both of Aperlae and Galit Malka.

The star was affixed to the wall, and the six men silently paid their respects to the fallen agent.

"I'm going to my office and try to get back to work, gentlemen it was an honor working with both of you." Barron said to the five other survivors. Handshakes were exchanged and without a word Keene Barron turned and walked off.

Tolan turned to Bowman and said quietly, "Our ship for Caprica leaves in three hours..."

"Yes of course," said Bowman tearing his eyes away from the freshly applied star. Tolan started to walk away. Before Bowman followed him uttered, "Good-bye Galit. I hope you find your family."

_**Caprica City, Caprica:**_

_**Alexander J. Dallas Spaceport:**_

Tolan and Bowman walked outside and into the sunlit Caprican afternoon. All around them life went on oblivious to the drama that had unfolded in space. It was a sobering thought to the two men that while they may have gone through hell the twelve worlds continued on with their daily routines.

"I still can't believe she did that, not to mention Britt and the others." Bowman said.

"She and the others stayed behind to open the doors between us and the shuttle bay and keep the SLA soldiers from getting to us. They were heroes in my book."

"Somebody dying for me though…she didn't have to. Th-That's something I can't fathom. From the moment I first put on the uniform I was prepared to give my life for my people but to have someone do it for me. They just can't prepare you for that."

"I know she cared about you, maybe even fell for you." Tolan said as he reached into a pocket and took out a pair of sunglasses.

"What is it with you and sunglasses?" Bowman asked, trying to lighten the somberness.

"They give me that charming rogue look, plus it completes the Viper pilot image I spent years trying to perfect."

"You do realize that you're not a pilot anymore, sir?"

Tolan shrugged, "Old habits are hard to break, and once again you don't have to 'sir' me. Anywhere I can take you to while here in the city?"

"I'm heading to Wilson Elementary School," said Bowman firmly having made up his mind. Tolan grinned as he respected his former XO for having decided to make a stand. Bowman was no longer the bitter and resentful man he had been at the start of this mission. He was now focused and full of purpose. "I can make it there on my own."

"Nonsense, I have a car right here and I'm sure I can find it without any problem." Tolan said, not wanting to let it known that he had a tendency for becoming lost in Caprica City.

"Really, that's not necessary." Bowman said.

"Alright then, Major Bowman I am ordering you to let me drive you to Wilson Elementary School. From there you are on your own."

Bowman saluted in a friendly mocking fashion, "Aye sir!"

The two men walked down the street to where Tolan had parked his black convertible sports car.

"Nice car Commander!" Bowman exclaimed.

"We're both off-duty right now, you can call me 'Scott'." Tolan said as he opened the driver's side door and got behind the wheel.

"You'll have to give me a while to get used to that...Scott," said Bowman.

Tolan started the high powered engine and it growled into life. He revved it several times to get a feel for the horsepower that was at his command.

"Don't worry Artimus," said Tolan smiling cheekily. "I have a feeling you're going to have plenty of opportunities to practice it."

Before Artimus could say anything the sports car surged forwards. Once they were on the road Bowman let his thoughts go to Brooke Garner, and wondered about their relationship. All the ups and downs in the past because of the feelings of her family towards them as a couple, and it never once let up when they were together.

He had let the controversy over their age difference get the better of him, and after himself so close to death coupled with a sacrifice he had to repay he was not about to let that get in the way.

"So Scott, what are your plans?"

"I'm going to Caprica City and spend time with Emily. Damage control; y'know?"

"You did say on the _Jabin_ that she's younger than you are, right?"

Tolan nodded, "Yeah, she's ten years younger."

'Like Brooke and I.' Bowman thought to himself before asking, "Did that cause problems for the two of you?"

"We couldn't have cared less, if anyone in our families had trouble with it they were more than welcome to get over themselves. I suppose you can that when it came to that issue my 'Give a damn' was broken."

Bowman could not help but laugh, "Duly noted."

"Artimus, you know you can believe what I said back at Fort Milledge. When the chance comes for me to put an end to Aperlae's career I'll make sure it happens," Tolan said with the same determined voice he had used when he had first talked of the plan.

"I'll buy the drinks when that bitch's career is over," Bowman said.

"I'll remember that, but by the time we're done celebrating there might be any alcohol left," Tolan said with a laugh.

"In that case, I'll just borrow your credit card," Bowman said before joining in on the laughter before finally sobering up enough to say, "I think about her, and I get so mad about it that I want to vent my anger and yell at the stars."

"My grandfather told me that there are three times in a man's life when he has a right to yell at the stars: when he marries, when his children come, and... and when he finishes a job he had to be crazy to start."

"Is that it with you Scott, were you crazy to take part in this damn rescue mission?"

"To make our part of that mission happen I had to sell a part of my soul. There's no telling if I'm every going to get it back."

The two officers chit-chatted about different topics such as their careers in the Fleet, family, and other topics of that nature until they finally arrived at Wilson Elementary School; this time Tolan did not get lost.

"Well Major this is it, I can honestly say it's been a privilege to have worked with you."

Bowman exited the car and turned to salute Tolan, "A privilege for me as well. Do you think we'll work again in the future?"

"Someday Bowman, perhaps someday….in the meantime keep in touch. There's no regs against officers being friends."

"Aye aye, Commander!" Bowman turned and made his way towards the school's entrance. He heard the peeling of rubber as Tolan took off in his sports car.

"That man has a thing for speed." Bowman muttered to himself as he walked into the school and to the receptionist's desk. A few minutes of waiting and he learned that Brooke was still in her classroom her students having gone for recess.

The walk to classroom 2-AE was an eternity for Bowman. The last time he had spoken to Brooke was when they had fought over the disapproval from her family, and he told her it was best they end it. Now he stood before the door and managed to work up the courage to knock.

'Suddenly the tenth fleet firing at me doesn't seem so scary'. There was Galit's voice in his head once more as if she were there trying to coax him onwards. He sucked in his nerves before knocking on the door.

"Enter," the woman inside replied.

Bowman entered the room and there was Brooke sitting behind her desk grading papers. She was so enthralled with her work that she hadn't even looked up yet to see who her visitor was standing nervously in front of her. His heart beat insanely in his chest. She hadn't changed a bit although it had only been six months it felt like years.

Wondering why her visitor hadn't announced his presence yet she looked up from the paper she was grading, not a particularly successful one given the amount of corrections she had made to it, and looked at him for the first time. She dropped the pen in her hand as she gasped at the sight of him.

"Artimus?" she asked in disbelief that it was him. "What are you doing here?" He looked down at her with eyes that screamed hurt at the sight of her. Despite their break up she felt a wave of concern wash over her as she looked at him "What's going on Artimus?" Brooke asked, seeing the pained look on his face. She rose up onto her feet and almost absent mindedly went to throw her arms around him before remembering they were not a couple anymore.

"I don't know where to begin," he uttered. "For the past few months I've been shot at, almost blown up, and left to die in a derelict shuttle. Let's just say it put things in perspective for me."

"What kind of things?" She asked, her cool demeanor thawing out at this bit of news.

He moved closer to her, "About us…I thought I was going to die without you knowing just how much you mean to me."

She suddenly started to recoil away from him as her defenses went up. "What do you mean?"

He put his arms around her and looked her in the eyes, "When it comes to the people who don't think we should be together…"

To his dismay she pushed him away. "Don't!" she barked angrily at him. "Don't you dare play with me like this. Do you know how much you hurt me?"

"I know. I'm sorry," he pleaded.

"I can see you've been through a lot," she continued. "And I will be here as your friend if that's what you want but don't pretend this is more than it is."

He put his hands on her arms making sure he had her full attention. "Listen to me! I've never been surer about anything in my life. I want to be with you and Gods help anyone who wants to get in the way of that. I've been offered a promotion and a posting to Caprica so no more months away on a Battlestar but if you want me to I will give it all up. Just say the word and I'll take one of thsoe shuttle pilot jobs. I'll do it all for you. That is if you want me?"

"Oh Artimus," she sighed. "Of course I do. I just dont want to get hurt again." They were suddenly interrupted by the sound of the bell. "Look, let's talk about this over dinner tonight. What do you say?"

"You bet," said Bowman. "I'll pick up at, say, eight oclock?"

"Best not pick me up from my place. My brother is home on leave."

"Good! To quote my most recent Commander my Give-a-damn is broken."

She started laughing, "Wow…that is…wow…which one said that?"

"Commander Tolan…but the fact is that you're the one I want to be with and I don't care who has a problem with it."

Brooke's class of third graders started filing into the room and taking their seats each one curious about the military officer who was with their teacher apparently oblivious to their arrival.

"You're quite a man Artimus."

He smiled at her, "You're quite the lady Brooke."

He noticed a slightly disappointed look on her face, "What's the matter?"

"I had the strangest feeling that you were going to kiss me."

"Well, I have kissed you before." He said before letting her go. It was then that he spun her around, and kissed her on the lips.

The whole class exploded in jeers and laughter as their teacher kissed the military officer. Several teachers walked passed and peered in stunned at the display of affection in front of the students while at the same time a little green with envy.

When their lips finally parted she looked dazed, "Ah! I... I... I thought I'd been kissed by you before."

_**Caprica City, Caprica**_

_**Tolan Vacation Home:**_

Scott Tolan pulled the car into the driveway and turned the engine off, this was something he had to wait almost five months for. A part of him felt nervous but then again there had rarely been a time he'd let his nerves get the better of him.

He took out his keys and put them into the door, well the locks had not been changed so that was a good sign. He opened the door and felt the cold rush of the air from the air conditioning.

"Honey, I'm home!" Tolan called out quite feeble knowing it was the understatement of the century and waited to see who would come out to see him.

"Scott, please let that be you," Emily Tolan said as she came out of nearby room. She saw him standing there and dropped her book in shock as she threw her hands to her face before running upto him and wrapping her arms around her husband.

"It's me baby," Tolan said as he wrapped his arms around his wife and held her as close to him as he could.

"I was starting to worry Scott, I thought you might not have been found," Emily said she wiped her eyes, "I said that when you came home I was going to kiss you and then I was going to hit you."

"Why'd you want to do that?" Tolan said though he knew the answer.

"You know I've been through my own personal hell here and you were nowhere to be found. I don't know what I was mad at more, you or the Colonial Fleet."

Tolan shrugged his shoulders, "At times Em, I don't think you can really differentiate the two."

"I needed you and you were on some mission, and not even on your ship. How did you end up missing in action anyway?"

"I was leading a boarding party onto the base and we got trapped in a section of the base when some debris fell and blocked our way. Our wireless equipment didn't work and we had to wait to be found."

"It took them three months to find you?"

"There was a lot of damage to the base, thankfully we were trapped near a food pantry so we had food and facilities to make ourselves comfortable," Tolan said as he repeated the story he had practiced all the way here. It was the 'official' one issued by the MoI.

"Isn't that fortunate," Emily said as though she did not believe a word of it.

"If you knew what all I went through there. I was shot at, almost blown up, and left to die in a place where there weren't a whole lot of people who I would describe as 'friendly'. Really Em, what do you want from me?"

"I want a husband who will be here with me when I need him the most, I want a man who doesn't go throwing himself into the thick of danger on a whim, I want you to be here with me and…out of all the men in the worlds why does it have to be you that stirs me?" Emily said as she leaned in and kissed him.

He wanted to say something but he just wanted to make the kiss last as long as he could. Gods how he had missed this woman he was blessed to have married!

"I don't want you to deploy again, it's like I lose you to the _Vanguard_ every time," Emily said when she pulled away from her husband.

"That won't be a problem for now; I've been relieved of command of the Vanguard. I have new posting now," Tolan said as he prepared to share the news.

"Oh really, and where is that?" Emily asked wondering if this would be good or bad news.

"I've been reassigned to Caprica; I'm overseeing the decommissioning of three to four battlestars. So for the next two years at the most you and I are going to be together here on Caprica. That is if it's alright with you," Tolan said as he flashed a smile that he knew she loved.

"Yes Scott, I would like that a lot," Emily said as she moved in to give Scott yet another kiss. She really did love this man, even if she had to share on occasion with the Colonial Fleet.

_**Epilogue:**_

_**Two Years Later:**_

_**Freedom, Sagittaron:**_

In the small town of Freedom was a bar known simply as 'Archer's', it was here that three men sat at a table playing a friendly game of triad. Two of them were younger looking, one of whom looked as though he had just stepped off of a Colonial Fleet recruitment poster. The third man was considerably older but seemed to carry himself as though he was a military officer in a former life.

Lieutenant Mark 'Archangel' Hunter of the battlestar Atlantia looked over the cards he was holding, his friend Skeeter had already folded and now it was down to him and this older gentleman.

"What's your move going to be?" the man asked Hunter with a gaze that did not show any clue as to what was going on behind his eyes.

"I think I'm going to go all in on this one," Hunter said as he pushed his stack of cubits into the center of the table.

"You sure that's what you want to do Archangel?" Skeeter asked as he saw his friend put all the money he had brought with him into the pot in the center of the table.

"Our friend the General knows I have his number," Hunter said with a confident smile.

"What makes you say I'm a general?" the man asked with an amused expression.

"Just something about you that's all. Anyway, let me show you how I'm going to win this," Hunter said as he laid his cards on the table, "Prince High Red, you can be awe of my Triad skills anytime you want."

The older man smiled, "Yes that is one hell of a hand to beat right there, I've faced worse odds before and come out just fine," he then laid his cards down and said, "Full Colors, you did good there Archangel but it just wasn't your night."

"Well played," Hunter said as he stood up and offered the man a handshake with was accepted.

"The pleasure was mine gentlemen, till next time," the old man took the cubits and promptly left Archer's. He hoped the man would not put the pieces of the puzzle together; most of the residents of Freedom had taken to keeping him safe from the Colonial authorities. To them, General Jonas Sano was a respected leader and a man who tried to fight for their freedom against a system that often took advantage of them.

_**Caprica City, Caprica:**_

Major Myra Aperlae opened the door to her luxury apartment in the Colahan Tower in downtown Caprica City. It had been another day appearances on the various news outlets to mark the three year anniversary of the rescue of Renee and Rachael Adar, her CO on the Mercury had been hesitant to let her off but she used her connections with Admiral Corman and President Adar to make it happen. Now that it was over she was ready to draw a hot bath and just relax for the rest of the day.

She turned opened the curtains to let the mid-afternoon sunlight into the apartment's living room. It was there that she saw a note folded in two sitting upright on the coffee table. She picked it up and examined the red formal-looking script on the outside of the note.

"Better luck next time," she said and immediately she felt a chill run down her spine. She opened the note and read what was on the inside.

_**Myra Aperlae,**_

_**I know the image you've projected throughout your life has been that of a tough woman that none can cross and live with the consequences. The funny thing is that the MoI had a scouting report done on you prior to the rescue mission. The report was right, deep down you are soft. In truth you should be scared that the SLA did not kill me, the reason for this is because I'm going to kill you. I'll catch up with you one day. I don't know when, but I'll catch up. Every time you turn around, expect to see me. One time you'll turn around and I'll be there. I'm going to kill you Myra.**_

_**Galit**_

_**PS: The authorities will find it hard to believe I left you this note. After all, I'm 'dead' remember?**_

Myra stood there frozen on the spot clutching the letter she had found. She felt as though a pair of eyes were boring into the back of her skull. Was someone behind her? She couldn't be sure. The only way to find out was to turn around but the warning of the letter ran through her mind and she lacked the courage to do it. For almost half an hour she stood there too frightened to move until finally she could take no more and she turned around...

_**Abry Military Academy:**_

A multitude of friends and family were turning out for the wedding of Artimus Bowman and Brooke Garner at the Eberle Temple on the grounds of the Abry Military Academy.

By the time they had exited the temple, the honor guard had formed two lines opposite each other in front of the temple steps. First out were the best man and the maid of honor. In this case it was Emily Tolan on the arm of Archibald Bowman. Those in attendance might have found it an interesting sight as the former Combat Search and Rescue pilot, and grandfather of the groom, walked out of the temple with a cane in one hand and a former Miss Caprica beauty queen on his free arm. The former 'Raptor Wrangler' had winked at a few friends and uttered the words, "I still got it" which always generated a riotous applause and laughter.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to present to you Lieutenant Colonel and Mrs. Artimus Bowman.", the head of the honor guard said as his voice carried loud enough for all to hear.

"Officers, draw swords," he called out to the officers making up the honor guard.

On the command of "draw swords" the officers raised their swords with their right hands, with the cutting edges facing up.

Artimus looked at Brooke and smiled at her, he could not get over how beautiful she looked. They stopped at the beginning of the arch and kissed before walking through. The newly married couple then saluted the honor guard as they passed through the arch. Artimus made sure that he had it to where Brooke escorted him on his left arm. This allowed him to use his right for saluting the officers.

As the bride and groom passed through the arch, the last two bearers dropped their swords, forming a cross to block the path of the couple. Artimus then kissed his bride. The crossed swords were raised for the couple to pass through.

Artimus had warned Brooke what would happen next. The bearer on the bride's side, as she passed by, gently swatted her on the backside before saying, "Welcome to the Fleet, Ma'am."

Brooke looked at the man, and decided to have some fun. She winked at him and gave him a sly smile. The officer, the one in charge of the honor guard, returned the wink and smiled back at her.

After the two had exited the arch, Rear Admiral Scott Tolan called out, "Officers, return swords."

Bowman leaned in close to Brooke and whispered, "He enjoyed that."

Brooke whispered back, "I know he did."

Bowman was amazed at how life had changed for him since the mission three years ago. He had now married the love of his life, earned a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel and had earned a reputation for being a tough but fair Raptor instructor at Vaught-Hemingway Fleet Air Station in Oxford, Caprica. In addition to his professional good fortune him and Brooke had become close friends with the Tolan family. Emily and Brooke in particular had become fast friends and he felt that would ease his new bride into the life of a military wife.

He opened the door to the white convertible sports car, a wedding present from the Tolans, and noticed a letter taped to the window on the driver's side. He closed the door once Brooke was inside, and walked over to examine the envelope.

It was a simple white envelope with 'Artimus' in large letters across its front. He opened the envelope and pulled out a letter. His eyes grew large as he read it:

_**Artimus,**_

_**Congratulations on your wedding, it looks like she's a keeper. I'm glad to see you took my advice, though there will always be a part of me that wished things had turned out differently with us. You will be in my heart for the rest of my days, and know that we will always have our time on the Valkyrie and of course the Jabin.**_

_**All my love,**_

_**Galit a.k.a. 'Psych'**_

Bowman turned and quickly scanned the crowd, wondering if he'd see Galit. He had given up on it until he saw a woman with blonde hair in a green dress wearing sunglasses. She looked at Bowman, smiled at him, then turned and disappeared into the crowd. From his memory he thought it was Galit, but could he really be sure about it?

"Ready?" Brooke asked snapping him out of his gaze.

"Yeah," he said to his new wife as he put the letter into the inside a pocket of his uniform jacket, "I'm ready."

He may never find out if it was Galit in the green dress or whether the letter was from Scott trying to help his friend finally lay her to rest. Either way it didn't matter now. He had a new life to start living. The galaxy was his for the taking and he intended to make the most of this new life he had seemingly stumbled into. As he started the car and put it into gear the happy couple waved furiously at the well wishers before shooting off to begin their honeymoon leaving 'Galit' or whoever she was firmly in the past.


End file.
